Did you know that ReviewerCredits has a simple integration which means you can sign up on our site in one click using your ORCID iD?
We’ve all seen those little green icons next to author’s names on published papers. These are ORCID iDs – unique identifiers that tie researchers to their work. You also often encounter these iDs in the ‘contributions’ section of papers as well as next to named peer reviewers in ‘acknowledgements’.
If you haven’t signed up for an ORCID iD yet, then we strongly recommend that you do: Registration takes less than a minute and these iD numbers are invaluable for enhancing your research reputation internationally.
How do ORCID iDs work? What are they?
ORCID iD numbers are a simple yet powerful concept – one number that links you to all your research, including peer review activities. You receive a single, distinct researcher number that connects you to all your outputs, collaborations, institutions, and colleagues.
Crucially, an ORCID iD makes it much easier for reviewers, editors, and fellow researchers to find you quickly and identify you and your work. For example, in the UK there are lots of people called John Smith: How can the Dr Smith who wrote a particular article be identified and, more importantly, verified. What happens when you move from one institution to another? Or if you change your work email? It becomes harder and harder to verify your identity.
Verification in peer review is crucial: ReviewerCredits is the only publisher independent platform that uses 2 factor authentication (including ORCID iDs) to corroborate and confirm researcher identities. This eliminates the ‘bad actor’ issue which often pollutes the peer review process.
Publishers and journals need to be sure that the researchers they are inviting to evaluate articles are really who they say they are, or indeed the correct person within a particular subject-area. For researchers, this is also critical: You want to receive kudos and recognition for the hard work you do. Using an ORCID iD to unambiguously tie yourself to your peer review activities is the best, simplest, and most universal way to do this.
What’s more, many publishers now require authors to have ORCID iDs before they can make a submission to one of their journals. Everybody is protected.
Lastly, ORCID iDs are a significant step in promoting open research and international scholarship.
If you’re unsure about the benefits of an ORCID iD for you and your research, get in touch with the Reviewer Credits team to learn more. You can use your ORCID iD to register or manage your account, and if you have multiple iDs, you can consolidate them to maintain the integrity of your research productivity. Even more importantly, once you have an ORCID iD, it’s one click to sign up for ReviewerCredits and start being rewarded for the work you do for journals and publishers!