What is an ORCID and how to get started

What is an ORCID

ORCID stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID. It is a free online resource that helps you distinguish yourself as a unique author by providing you with a unique 16 digital number linked to you that stays with you throughout your career. It provides a biographical statement, employment and education information, invited positions, professional society memberships, funding history, and all your research output.

Image of the ORCID number format and its use through a career

Getting Started

It is easy to set up an ORCID and only takes about 5 - 10 minutes to set up.

Visit the ORCID website Links to an external site. to set up your account and begin building your ORCID profile. We recommend you use your UC email and use the institutional login. If you leave UC, you can edit your profile and change the primary email address used. A best practice is to add a second private email that you can use to login if you lose institution access when making career changes.

Watch this informational video to learn more about the ORCID.