Abstract

In an era where research integrity and transparency are critical, ORCID's infrastructure plays a vital role in supporting these values through persistent identifiers (PIDs) and validated data. Rather than focusing solely on identity verification, which is challenging in a global, interconnected research landscape, ORCID advocates for identity demonstration. This concept allows researchers to build their identity over time, leveraging trusted data from multiple sources, such as affiliations, grants, publications, and datasets. These PIDs, when integrated into ORCID records, offer a transparent, verifiable timeline of a researcher’s career, improving the visibility and integrity of their contributions.
ORCID also supports Open Science practices by ensuring that its infrastructure adheres to the FAIR data principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reusability). Each ORCID record includes provenance metadata, which bolsters confidence in the data's trustworthiness. ORCID’s trust program, built on principles of individual control, reliability, and accountability, further ensures that records are continuously validated through community monitoring and member organization contributions. By fostering such a robust system, ORCID enhances the integrity of the entire research ecosystem, making research more transparent, discoverable, and reproducible.