Have you ever wondered what the green bubble with the white text “ID” next to an author’s name means when reading a research article? It refers to ORCiD!

[Image Description: Screenshot of the title and affiliations of a peer-reviewed research article]

ORCiD is a free and helpful resource for researchers of all backgrounds to link their work in one place. This is possible due to its global reach and aim to utilize the Internet to facilitate the sharing of information. What is great is that the researcher has the power to choose what they want to share or keep private. This is essential since it is open-source and, therefore, shared with the public.

So, how does one make their ORCID ID? Below are simple steps to help with that!

1. Go to orcid.org/register
2. Add name and email address (If you use a professional email address, I recommend adding the optional personal email address to allow your work to follow you throughout your career)
3. Create a password
4. Enter your current employment/institution you are affiliated with
5. Choose visibility settings (This is important for privacy reasons)
6. Complete registration

You will then receive your personal ORCID iD! Once you verify your email address, you will have access to your portal to input your relevant information for others to see, which includes:

• Employment
• Education and Qualifications
• Professional Activities
• Funding
• Works

With these, you can share your academic accomplishments, such as awards, grants, publications, professional qualifications, and more. Additionally, you can link to websites and social media links, such as LinkedIn or a lab website. There is even an option for “Keywords” that others can look up to find your work more easily. Lastly, you can include countries or locations where you are conducting research. This can be helpful for future collaborations!

In conclusion, making an ORCID ID as a graduate student is something to consider. It only takes a few minutes and can help you now and in the future if you accomplish new goals. It is a one-stop website where all of your research and media can be found and kept well organized.

If you need help jazzing up your ORCID ID or simply want some guidance on how to do so, don't hesitate to contact our own UCR data librarian, who would be happy to help!