An ORCID iD is a unique researcher identifier, used worldwide, that you keep throughout your career and retain even if you move institutions. ORCID, which stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID, is a free, unique, persistent identifier (PID) for individuals to use as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovative academic endeavors.
Many use "ORCID" or "ORCID iD" interchangeably, but what they are talking about is a 16-digit number and the associated record (or profile) that stores automatic links to all of your research, and links all of your research with you. Optimizing your ORCID profile helps reduce the exhaustion of managing your research across different systems, institutions, and career stages.
Using an ORCID profile allows your manuscripts, research, grants, and other scholarly endeavors to be more discoverable and integrated within large research networks. Your can use your ORCID iD to easily share data between your ORCID record and an increasing number of funders, publishers, data repositories, and other research networks.
Getting Started with ORCiD
Why should I connect my ORCID with UWG?
For Faculty
Authorizing a connection between the University of West Georgia and ORCID allows UWG to write employment information alongside other work, such as internal University funding and publications.
Authorize the University of West Georgia to read non-private information for inclusion in University reporting of your scholarly work and professional activities.
Authenticating your employment information assures funders and publishers that you are affiliated with the University of West Georgia.
For Students
Authorizing a connection between the University of West Georgia and ORCID allows UWG to read non-private information to include your work among alumni scholarly outputs.
Should I have both a "personal" and "institutional" ORCID iD?
No, you should maintain only one ORCID iD. Your ORCID profile will follow you throughout your professional career. If you previously signed up for an ORCID iD at the request of a publisher or other institution, please continue to use that iD. Do not create an additional account.
What types of work do I include in an ORCID iD?
Journal publications
Books
Conference presentations
Peer Reviews
Invited Positions and Distinctions
Funding and Grants
Professional Activities
and More!
Why should I have an ORCID for federal research and funding?
Since 2020, ORCID iDs have been required for all National Institutes of Health (NIH), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In January 2021, the White House released a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-33) directing Federal agencies that conduct research and/or award research funds to establish policies related to Persistent Identifiers (PIDs). NSPM-33 aims to strengthen research security while reducing administrative burden. ORCID is the leading persistent identifier that meets the requirements stipulated in the NSPM-33 guidelines.
As of Spring/Summer 2025, additional Federal agencies have published ORCID-related policies, which can be tracked in the US Federal Agencies ORCID Policies document created by ORCID.
Ensure that data such as your peer reviews and other works automatically push to your record when they become available by linking your record with indexes such as Datacite, Crossref, Web of Science, or other services including the MLA International Bibliography.
Add information about grants, awards, and other types of funding through systems such as DimensionsWizard.
How do I import my Google Scholar profile into ORCID?
The following support article on importing works from a BibTex file shares guidance on exporting Google Scholar citations to import into your Works section in ORCID.
Citations of works can be added to your ORCID profile through multiple processes. The following options include guidance for each process to update your ORCID profile:
How do I include professional activities to ORCID?
Additional professional service can be included on your ORCID profile. Note that some activities, such as Peer Reviews, can only be included by the trusted organization. The following articles share information about Peer Reviews, Funding, and Professional Activities.