ORCID has been working with CrossRef and DataCite to enhance the interoperability of scholarly information - capturing embedded unique identifiers for researchers and their research outputs (journal articles and datasets) and supporting the improved flow of information between systems. The benefits, and potential, of these developments are really exciting. Researchers benefit from automatic updates to their personal record, systems linked to the ORCID registry can re-use the information, saving more time and effort, and other IDs and information sources can link to the new metadata. Building connections like this, to improve the flow of information through the scholarly ecosystem, is a great example of why we refer to ORCID as plumbing. IDs help make e-infrastructure for research work better.

1. Capture, embed, interoperate:
ORCID iDs can be
linked to many other
IDs and information
sources
Identifiers in the service of research
Publishers
include
ORCID iD in
article
metadata
when they
mint a DOI
with CrossRef
Data centres
include ORCID
iD in dataset
metadata
when they
mint a
DataCite DOI
The
metadata
round trip
She includes her
ORCID iD when she
submits her
manuscript to a
journal or her
dataset to a data
centre
CrossRef and
DataCite transmit the
new DOI plus the
associated metadata
to the ORCID registry
The researcher’s
ORCID record is
automatically
updated with the
new metadata and
Identifiers
The researcher
registers for a free
ORCID iD at
orcid.org or via an
ORCID integration at
her institution or
funder
Updates are pushed
from the ORCID
registry to other
systems (CRIS,
repositories, grant
management
systems) on the
researcher’s behalf
Researchers benefit
from effortless
updates to their
personal record and
easier re-use of their
information.
Institutions get more
timely information.
Other iDs or
metadata could
follow this process –
the potential is
enormous