ORCID Researcher Identifier

ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a free, unique, persistent 16-digit identifier assigned to researchers that distinguishes them from others with the same or similar names. Launched in 2012 by ORCID Inc., a non-profit organization, the ORCID system addresses a critical problem in scholarly communication: name ambiguity. Millions of researchers worldwide share names (e.g., 'Smith, J.'). Without a unique identifier, citations and publications are difficult to attribute correctly, author H-indices are miscalculated, and researchers are credit for work they did not do. An ORCID iD is free, permanent, and owned by the researcher; it persists regardless of affiliation changes or career transitions.