09/06/2026
If you’re pursuing a research pathway, building an academic portfolio, contributing to open-source projects, or thinking about graduate study, here’s a free tool worth knowing about: ORCID.
An ORCID iD (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a free, persistent 16-digit identifier that distinguishes you from other researchers and contributors—even if someone else shares your name, your name changes, or you move between institutions.
Think of it as a persistent digital identifier for your scholarly and research-related work.
Where might you use an ORCID iD?
• Journal articles, manuscripts, preprints, and other publications
• Research datasets, software, code, and other research outputs
• Grant and funding applications
• Conference submissions and presentations
• Peer-review activity
• University and institutional research systems
• Research repositories and open-science platforms
• Graduate-school and developing research portfolios
• GitHub/open-source projects when connecting code or software to your scholarly identity
• DOI-linked research outputs and repositories such as Zenodo
• Crossref-connected publishing workflows and other scholarly infrastructure
One important distinction: ORCID isn’t a replacement for GitHub, LinkedIn, Google Scholar, or a CV. It gives you a persistent identifier that can connect your contributions across many different systems.
You also do not need to wait until you’re a professor or have publications to create one. If you’re beginning to build a body of research, software, scholarship, or other academic contributions, establishing your ORCID early can make it easier to keep that work connected to you over time.
Registration is free through ORCID.
PubEd | Research & Academic Resources:
Helping students, educators, and emerging researchers understand the infrastructure behind scholarship—not just the final paper.
