What is an ORCID and why do I need one?

You might have heard or seen the word ORCID but may not be sure exactly what it is or how important it is to all Cranfield researchers…

What is an ORCID?

An ORCID id is a ‘persistent digital identifier’. In plain language it’s a unique researcher number, issued to you, which distinguishes you from other researchers and ensures correct attribution of your work. It’s personal and portable, so it can be used throughout your whole career and is not connected with Cranfield or any other institution that you have been (or will be!) affiliated with.

Why do I need an ORCID?

1. Cranfield University has mandated that all Cranfield researchers should have an ORCID account.
2. It enables researchers to claim their work properly, especially for researchers with commonly-used names.
3. Journals increasingly often require authors to have an ORCID when submitting articles for publication.
4. It will be used in the Cranfield web profile to display the full list of a researcher’s publications.
5. In future, all researchers will have to have an ORCID to be REF-able.

How do I get an ORCID?

Take one minute and register for an ORCID now.
NB: Please ensure that you make your ORCID account public – this can easily be done in your settings.

Not sure if you already have an ORCID?

We’ve all been there – we’ve set something up a long time ago but not really used it. Don’t worry – the registration form will alert you if you try to register using an email address that has already been registered – you will get a message in red when you type it into the primary email box. At that stage you can request your password and then you should be able to login to see your ORCID id. Your ORCID id will be displayed on the left-hand side once you have logged in. It is always in this format: 0000-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX.

What should I do when I have an ORCID?

Now you need to add your ORCID into your CRIS account. This will mean that when your articles are validated in CRIS they should automatically appear in your ORCID account too.

• Login to CRIS
• Click on your name in the top right hand corner
• Go to My Settings
• Enter your ORCID number in the ORCID settings box.

Read more about linking your ORCID and CRIS accounts 

How else could I use ORCID?

Why not add your ORCID to your signature box so that other researchers can easily see your work.

Need a little help? No problem

• You can watch the online training module on ORCID  in our University VLE (this will require a Cranfield login), or
• Contact your Library’s Information Specialist

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