ORCID and other PIDs

Persistent identifiers (PIDs) are playing an increasingly important role in various areas of science; for example, the DFG's guideline for safeguarding good scientific practice already requires persistent citation of scientific source code. In the form of the DOI, the ORCiD or the ISSN - you have certainly already come across these identifiers. PIDs are first and foremost used to permanently identify and locate the referenced objects. Even if other metadata (e.g. name and address/URL) change, the persistent identifier remains the same. A lot of information and current developments on this topic can be found at the PID Network.

What is an ORCID and what do I need it for?

In the course of a scientific career, your websites, e-mail addresses and affiliations usually change several times - your surname may also change in the course of this time. This can make it difficult to clearly assign scientific achievements and possible attempts to make contact. You may also have had the experience of searching for an author in a publication database and coming across many people with the same name. The ORCID as a persistent identifier for persons can help here.

The ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is the de facto standard for the persistent identification of researchers. It also offers a number of advantages, e.g. through (partially) automated management of publication lists and verification options. This also makes it possible to verify other activities in the scientific community, such as your peer review activities. The CV template, which is now mandatory at the DFG, also asks you to provide your ORCID.

The ORCID is a 16-digit identifier assigned by a non-profit initiative. It can be created easily and free of charge within one minute. You can then link your ORCID to many different accounts or institutions with just a few clicks, for example the Researcher ID in the Web of Science or your Personal Authority Record in RWTH Publications. If you classify an institution as trustworthy, the data linked to your ORCID can be updated automatically by some providers.

The ORCID is continuously growing and gaining relevance. We therefore recommend that you create and maintain an ORCID (if you do not already have one). You can also use other people's ORCIDs, e.g. when searching for publications.

Of course, an ORCID can only be useful if it is not created again and again. Therefore, make a note of your ORCID after creating it and use a password manager, for example, so that you do not lose your access data.

Other persistent identifiers

The use of other established PIDs is also recommended (but may be associated with costs in individual cases).

- Note whether your publications are assigned a DOI and enter this in publication lists. (If you do not receive a DOI from the respective publisher, a DOI will also be assigned when your publication is entered in RWTH Publications). A DOI can also be assigned for other objects, e.g. for scientific conferences - this is possible, for example, via the DFG-funded ConfIDent project. Further information can be found here: https://www.confident-conference.org.

- Check whether your intended publication organ has an ISSN. (This can be particularly helpful if you are not sure whether it is really the right journal orif you want to check whether a publication organ is reputable).