ORCID FAQs

Do you have an ORCID iD yet? Millions of researchers across the globe have already signed up for this permanent research identifier, which works across a range of platforms to connect researchers digitally with their research outputs.

ORCID – Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier – gives you free, lifelong control over a trusted and easily shareable record of your research activities and affiliations. Your ORCID iD also alleviates mistaken identity (many researchers have the same or similar names, use different versions of their names, or have changed their name), and allows you to link your record to other identifiers, helping you to keep your publication record up-to-date with little effort.

Importantly, the use of an ORCID iD has become international research practice for researchers, with many publishers and funders requesting it.

Signing up for an ORCID iD will take only a minute of your time. 

For optimal use of your ORCID iD with UCT systems, connect your ORCID iD to the eRA system.

 

7 reasons to get your ORCID iD today

  1. It increases recognition and discoverability of your research outputs.
  2. It ensures that all your research outputs and activities are correctly attributed to you.
  3. It is quickly becoming required by publishers, research funders and universities across the world.
  4. Your ORCID iD belongs to you and stays with you throughout your career.
  5. You own and control your record, managing what information is connected and how it is shared. 
  6. ORCID iD reduces time spent on repetitive data entry by pulling information from other sources.
  7. With an ORCID iD, you can keep all your publications in a single virtual space to make preparing funding applications easier.

 

ORCID – your lifelong research ID

 

ORCID A3 poster

 

(*Click on the image to open a high-resolution version or download it here.)

Useful links and resources

 

ORCID FAQs

  • What is an ORCID iD?

    ORCID iD is a 16-digit unique identifier that distinguishes you from other researchers.

  • Why have an ORCID iD

    An ORCID iD provides the following benefits
    • you will disambiguate yourself from other researchers that share the same name  
    • you will be able to collect and link all your research outputs under your ORCID iD record regardless of name variations you have used when publishing
    • your researcher profiles will easily be maintained across systems and databases
    • you will increase discoverability and visibility of your work on searching platforms
    • repetitive reporting will be more simplified
    • your ORCID iD moves with you throughout your career
  • Who needs an ORCID iD?

    Increasingly research institutions, publishers and funding organisations are requiring your ORCID iD as you interact with them. Your ORCID iD help these organisations to simplify their workflows across their systems and platforms. This means they will easily disambiguate you with reduced errors, update and maintain your profiles on their platforms, and be able to track research activities as well as impact of your research output.

  • How do you register for an ORCID iD?

    To register for an ORCID iD, open ORCID SIGN IN/REGISTER webpage, then select ‘Register now’ option in dark-blue. By populating the form and submitting using the Register button, you will complete registration.

  • How do I check if I already have an ORCID iD?

    If you would like to check if you already have an ORCID ID, search by your name at the ORCID searching facility.

  • What do I do if I have multiple ORCID iDs?

    If you have more than one ORCID ID, you'll want to remove your extra account(s). Sign into the ORCID account that you'd like to keep and navigate to ‘Account settings’ at the top of the page. Scroll down to ‘Remove duplicate record’ and enter the login information for the account that you'd like to remove. For more information check Removing your additional or duplicate ORCID iD support page.

  • Have another author ID already? Scopus and Web of Science (ResearcherID/Publons) IDs can be linked to your ORCID.

    To link your Scopus author iD to your ORCID iD, sign in to your ORCID record. From the ‘v Works’ section, hover over ‘+ Add works’ menu at the right end, then select ‘Search & link’ option. From the opened linking options provided, select Scopus and follow the prompt to link. Follow the same steps to link your ORCID iD to Publons/ResearcherID by selecting ResearcherID linking option under ‘Search & link’. Then follow the prompt for ResearcherID.

  • Why should I link my ORCID iD with my UCT institutional login?

    Allows you to login to your ORCID record with your institutional credentials.

  • How can I check if my ORCID iD is linked to my UCT institutional login?

    • Login to your ORCID record
    • Click on the down arrow next to your name on the top right
    • Select ‘Account settings’ in the drop down list
    • Under the ‘Alternate sign in’ at the bottom of the page, you will see your institutional email address if you have linked your ORCID ID to your institutional login.
  • How do I link my ORCID iD to my UCT institutional login?
    • On ORCID webpage, click ‘SIGN IN/REGISTER’ from the top right corner
    • Click on ‘Institutional account’  
    • Enter ‘University of Cape Town’ in the provided box and click the ‘Continue’ button
    • Login with your institutional username and password
    • Read the ‘Personal information transfer notice’ and select ‘Continue’.
    • To link your University of Cape Town account to your ORCID record, login to your ORCID iD account. Select the ‘Register for an ORCID iD’ if you don’t have one.

  • How do I link my ORCID iD to UCT Research Portal eRA?

    Login to eRA and navigate to ‘My Settings’ from the drop down arrow next to your name on the top right. Then click ‘Connect to your ORCID account’ button under the ORCID settings. Read through the pop-up notice and click ‘Authorize’ to grant permission to the UCT Research Portal to add and pull information from your ORCID record.

  • How do I link my ORCID iD to ZivaHub: Open Data UCT?

    • Open ORCID webpage and click ‘SIGN IN/REGISTER’ from the top right corner and sign in. If you do not have an ORCID record use the ‘Register now’ option to register.
    • From the ‘Ú Works’ section, hover over ‘+ Add works’ menu at the right end and click ‘Search & link’
    • From the listed linking options, select DataCite. Read through the pop-up notice and ‘Authorize’ to proceed.
    • By clicking ‘Get ORCID token’ button, you will grant permission to DataCite to update your ORCID record.
    • Complete linking by clicking the ‘Update’ button which will generate a confirmation message at the top of the page.
  • Why can’t UCT automatically link my ORCID to our systems?

    UCT can only add, update, or remove information in your ORCID record if you have granted authority. Please see ORCID's page about trust here for more information.

 

For further support, contact Awot K. Gebregziabher or your subject librarian.