ORCID launched more than a decade ago, but has yet to fulfil its potential

Jonas Müller faces name ambiguity because hundreds of thousands in Germany share his name and dozens of astrophysics researchers share his initials, risking misattribution. ORCID launched in 2012 as a free identification service that issues a unique 16-digit identifier for researchers to record publications and research activities, carried across name, job or institute changes. ORCID operates as a Bethesda-based non-profit funded by fees from over 1,450 member organizations. The service has about 10 million yearly active researchers, links publications, datasets, peer reviews and grants, and integrates with repositories and publishers. Uptake and profile completeness vary by field and career stage.

In his home country of Germany, more than half a million people share his name. He also shares it with dozens of astrophysics researchers, in Germany and abroad. That wouldn't really be a problem if he was a carpenter, a hockey player or a nurse, but Müller is just beginning his research career, working towards a PhD at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies in Germany, where he is studying the evolution of stars.

ORCID, which stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID, was launched in 2012 as a free identification service for individuals to record their academic papers and other research activities. Researchers receive a unique 16-digit identifier that they carry with them for the entirety of their career, even if they change their name, job or institute. The platform is run by ORCID, a non-profit organization based in Bethesda, Maryland, and is funded through fees paid by member organizations.

Since ORCID's launch, its lime-green logo has become a familiar sight on academic publishing websites and funding applications around the world. The service, which has some 10 million yearly active researchers - people who use it at least once a year - allows users to link publications, data sets, peer reviews, grants and other scholarly outputs in a single webpage and is integrated with many institutional repositories and publishers' platforms.

Read at Nature