Research identity: distinguish yourself using ORCID

ORCID (Open Researcher & Contributor IDentifier) gives researchers and authors a single unique ID which works across the research landscape.

Good reasons for using ORCID include:

• Distinguish yourself - An ORCID iD ensures that all your research outputs and activities are correctly attributed to you.
• It's quick and easy - It takes as little as 30 seconds to register and the benefits are ongoing. An increasing number of publishers and research funders are using ORCID iDs as a quick and easy way for researchers to identify themselves when submitting publications or bids.
• Open to all, non-profit and community-driven - ORCID is a non-proprietary standard maintained by the scholarly community for the benefit of research and researchers. It is of value to all disciplines and all career stages, from postgraduate research student to the senior academic.
• Your ORCID record belongs to you and stays with you - Unlike employer or publisher identifiers, your ORCID profile is managed by you and stays with you throughout your career.

(Information based on that  of the University York at http://www.york.ac.uk/library/info-for/researchers/orcid/.)