Persistent Identifiers Beyond the DOI
The DOI is the most famous persistent identifier, but not the only one. Meet ORCID for people, ROR for organizations, and how connecting them builds a linked, trustworthy research record.
One idea, many identifiers
A persistent identifier (PID) is a permanent, unique reference to something — designed to keep working even when web addresses change. The DOI identifies outputs like articles and datasets, but a healthy research record links several kinds of PID together.The key PIDs
- DOI — for research outputs: articles, datasets, preprints, theses.
- ORCID — for people: a lifelong iD that ties a researcher to all their work.
- ROR (Research Organization Registry) — for institutions: a stable identifier for universities and labs, replacing inconsistent free-text affiliations.
- Others — such as identifiers for funders and grants.
Why linking them matters
On their own, each PID is useful; connected, they become powerful. When a dataset's DOI links to its creators' ORCID iDs and their institution's ROR, a machine can automatically and unambiguously answer "who made this, where, and what else have they done?" That is the backbone of trustworthy, automated research infrastructure.What to do
Get an ORCID iD, use DOIs for every output, and enter your institution consistently (ideally via its ROR). Small habits that make the whole record connect.By Super Admin