The ORCID API is a set of programmatic interfaces that enable various systems to seamlessly connect with and interact with the ORCID Registry. It allows for the automated reading from and writing to ORCID records, facilitating the exchange of researcher information between ORCID and other institutional, publisher, or funder systems.
Understanding the ORCID API
At its core, the ORCID API provides a structured way for software applications to access, update, and manage information within the ORCID Registry. This means that instead of manually entering data, institutions, research organizations, publishers, and other service providers can programmatically integrate ORCID functionality into their own platforms. This connectivity is crucial for streamlining research workflows, ensuring data accuracy, and reducing administrative burdens for researchers.
Types of ORCID APIs
ORCID offers different types of APIs, each designed for specific user needs and access levels, providing varying functionalities for interacting with ORCID records:
- Public API: This API is freely available to anyone and allows systems to read public data from ORCID records. It's ideal for developers who want to display ORCID iDs and public information on websites or within applications without needing to modify records.
- Member API: Exclusively available to ORCID member organizations, this API offers enhanced capabilities. Members can not only read public data but also read trusted data (data shared with specific member organizations) and write information to ORCID records. This is vital for institutions to assert affiliations, add research works, or update biographical details on behalf of their researchers (with researcher permission).
- Premium Member API: This is the most comprehensive API, available to Premium ORCID member organizations. It includes all the functionalities of the Member API, plus additional features for more advanced integrations and data management, often with higher rate limits and specialized support.
Key Differences at a Glance:
| API Type | Access Level | Key Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| Public API | Open to all | Read public data from ORCID records. |
| Member API | ORCID Member Organizations Only | Read public and trusted data; write to ORCID records (e.g., add works, affiliations, funding) with user permission. |
| Premium Member API | ORCID Premium Member Organizations Only | All Member API capabilities, plus potentially higher rate limits, enhanced support, and additional advanced integration features for extensive data management. |
How the ORCID API Works
The ORCID API operates using standard web technologies. Developers typically interact with it through HTTP requests, sending and receiving data in formats like XML or JSON. Authentication for writing or accessing non-public data usually involves the OAuth 2.0 protocol, ensuring secure authorization from the ORCID record holder. This means researchers grant permission for specific systems to interact with their ORCID record.
Practical Applications and Benefits
The ORCID API offers significant advantages for the research ecosystem:
- For Researchers:
- Reduces manual data entry by allowing information (like publications or affiliations) to be automatically added to their ORCID record from other systems.
- Ensures accurate and up-to-date information across various platforms.
- For Institutions (Universities, Research Centers):
- Assert affiliations: Automatically add and verify researchers' institutional affiliations on their ORCID records.
- Populate institutional repositories: Sync publication data from ORCID records into local systems.
- Streamline reporting: Facilitate the collection of research output for internal analysis and external reporting.
- For Publishers:
- Automatic work assertion: Add published articles, preprints, or datasets directly to authors' ORCID records.
- Simplify author workflows: Allow authors to link their ORCID iD during manuscript submission.
- For Funders:
- Link funding information: Automatically connect grant awards to researchers' ORCID records.
- Track research outcomes: Monitor the impact of funded research by linking to publications and other outputs.
- For System Developers:
- Build integrations that automatically update ORCID records with validated information.
- Create applications that display public ORCID data for enhanced transparency.
By facilitating these connections, the ORCID API plays a pivotal role in creating a more interconnected, efficient, and transparent research information landscape. For more detailed technical documentation and guides, developers can refer to the ORCID API documentation.
