ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a type of author identifier.

ORCID aims to solve the name ambiguity problem in research and scholarly communication by creating a central registry of unique identifiers for individual researchers and an open and transparent linking mechanism between ORCiD and other current researcher ID schemes. These identifiers, and the relationships among them, can be linked to the researcher’s output to enhance the scientific discovery process and to improve the efficiency of research funding and collaboration within the research community. ORCID is a non-profit organization funded by institutional memberships (UChicago will soon be a member), grant-making organizations, and a wide variety of research organizations and publishers.

An ORCiD identifier, or ORCID id, is a persistent, unique, numeric identifier for individual researchers and creators. It distinguishes you from other researchers with the same (or very similar) name and supports automated linkages between you and your research activities. YourORCID record, which includes your ORCiD identifier, holds non-sensitive information such as name, organization, and research activities.

Since many major publishers and other information producers are integrating ORCID identifiers into their products and tools, having an ORCID identifier may help simplify processes like journal article manuscript submission. Some granting agencies (e.g., NIH) are piloting the use of ORCID identifiers to manage granting information.

It’s easy to register for an ORCID.

First head to http://orcid.org.  There are three steps to creating an ORCID:

1. Register for an ORCID
   Registration is easy, free and fast — it takes less than a minute to register
2. Add your information
   If you have previously created a ResearcherID in Web of Science or a Scopus ID, you will be able to link to those and import references for your publications using special wizards (see instructions below).  You can also add a variety of professional information including current and previous uinstitutional affiliations.
3. Use your ORCID
   Include your ORCID in your email signature file, on your website, and when available, include in your publication submissions

Import references from Scopus — Import your Identifier, profile and publications. The wizard helps you find the correct Scopus profile and to confirm your publications. You can then import the identifier and list of publications into ORCID. Any changes you make will be submitted to the Feedback team to update your Scopus profile.

1. Login to your ORCID record.
2. Click on “Import Works” and then “Scopus to ORCID”.
3. Follow the on screen prompts to send your Scopus ID and papers to ORCID.

Import references from ResearcherID profile — If you have previously created a ResearcherID, you can import information from that profile into your ORCID profile.

1. Login to your ORCID record
2. Click on “Import Works” and then “ResearcherID”
3. Follow the on screen prompts to send your ResearcherID and papers to ORCID

Import references using CrossRef Metadata Search — import references for books, articles, and any other of your publication registered in the CrossRef system into your ORCID profile.

1. Login to your ORCID record
2. Click on “Import Works” and the “CrossRef Metadata Search”
3. Follow the on screen prompts to select items that are not already in your ORCID profile

For papers that do not appear in any of the above tools, you can add records manually to your ORCID profile.

1. Login to your ORCID record
2. Click on “Add Works Manually”
3. Follow the on screen prompts to enter the information about your papers

Source: http://guides.lib.uchicago.edu/c.php?g=298332&p=1989820