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The University of Alabama School of Law WordmarkThe University of Alabama School of Law

Faculty Resources

What is ORCID?

ORCID, which stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID, is a free service that creates a unique 16 digit identification number that authors can use to help researchers locate your academic works. It can be useful for a number of reasons, including:

  • distinguishing you from other authors with the same or similar names
  • helping researchers locate works that you wrote before a possible name change
  • helping researchers locate works you published using different iterations of your name (ex: using your middle name with some published works, then only using your middle initial for others)

Creating an ORCID ID

To create an ORCID ID, there is a link to "Register with ORCID" located at the top of the webpage. This will lead you to a five step registration process where you can register for an ORCID ID. For information about what information you might need to create an ID, please look here. 

Once you have finished registering, you can add information such as "Education and Qualifications," links to your publications, list what grants you've received in the past, and more. Though this information is optional, it will help distinguish you from other authors, so it is recommended to fill out what you can.