Your ORCID record is a public reflection of your research identity, so cleaning it up before a manuscript submission is a smart move — and the process takes less than 30 minutes once you know where to click. Start by logging into your ORCID account and reviewing every section with a critical eye: your biography, employment, education, funding, and especially your works list.
Step 1: Audit your works list for errors and duplicates
The biggest source of clutter is usually the "Works" section. Check for:
- Duplicate entries (the same paper imported twice from different sources like Scopus and Crossref).
- Wrong metadata (e.g., incorrect publication year, journal name, or author order).
- Preprint versions that are now published — you can keep both but link them, or delete the preprint if it’s obsolete.
- Non-research items (like conference posters you no longer want public) — these are safe to remove.
To delete or edit, click the three-dot menu next to each work and choose "Edit" or "Delete." For duplicates, ORCID now offers a "Merge duplicates" tool under the Works tab, which saves you from manual cleanup.
Step 2: Verify your affiliations and funding
Editors and reviewers sometimes check your ORCID to confirm your institutional history. Remove outdated positions that no longer apply (e.g., a past lab you left on bad terms) and correct any typos in funding awards. Make sure your current primary affiliation is listed first.
Step 3: Set your visibility preferences
Not everything needs to be public. For each item, you can set visibility to:
- Public — visible to anyone (recommended for published works and current affiliation).
- Trusted parties — visible to journals and institutions you authorize.
- Private — only you can see it.
A good rule: keep your published works public, but consider making your funding history and education details "trusted parties only" if you prefer privacy.
Step 4: Update your name and bio
Ensure your name matches what you use on the manuscript (including any middle initials or suffixes). Add a short, professional bio — this is often displayed in journal systems. Also, add or update your keywords and research interests so your profile is findable for the right topics.
Step 5: Do a final cross-check with your manuscript
Before submission, compare your ORCID record against your manuscript’s title, author list, and abstract. If you’re using a reference manager, this is the perfect time to sync your library — WisPaper’s My Library can automatically extract metadata from your uploaded PDFs, so you can quickly spot any missing or mismatched entries in your ORCID feed without manual searching.
Finally, use ORCID’s "Export" function to save a backup of your record, then submit with confidence knowing your scholarly identity is accurate, current, and clean.
