Types of researcher profile
Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID)
ORCID is an open and non-profit community-based registry that assigns you a persistent digital identifier called an ORCID. This unique number is linked to a profile created, curated, and controlled by you. ORCID is an open and non-profit community-based registry. It has a unique ability to reach across disciplines, research sectors and countries, as it co-operates with other research identifier systems. An ORCID can be used to:
- identify you and your research outputs, regardless of any name changes or institutional moves
- link to profiles in other databases, such as Scopus and Web of Science, for clear identification of your work
- add your publication record to the Australian Research Council’s Research Management System (RMS)
- share your resume by adding it to email signatures, social media accounts, and business cards.
The Library's Getting Started with ORCID video series provides advice about setting up and using your profile effectively.
University of Sydney Academic Profile Online (APO)
If you are a University of Sydney staff member or Doctoral student, using your University of Sydney Academic Profile Online, will make your work more visible to the wider community.
Citation database profiles (Scopus and Web of Science)
Scopus and Web of Science are large multidisciplinary databases that contain author profiles and citation metrics. These databases also list selected references for each author and include citation counts for each reference. The author profiles on these systems are algorithmically generated, however you can claim your author profiles on them and provide corrections.
Google Scholar profiles
Google Scholar is a free multidisciplinary search engine that indexes peer-reviewed journals, academic books, conference papers and more. It is used by students, researchers and members of the public looking for scholarly literature or an overview of a researcher’s publications. Creating a Google Scholar profile makes your body of work visible; the citation metrics are updated automatically, and you can choose to have your list of publications updated automatically or update them yourself.
Social media profiles (academic and general)
Academic social media sites allow you to connect with other researchers and showcase your work. The best choice for you will depend on the audience you want to reach. Check to see if there’s an active community from your field of research on the platform you’re exploring. Options include:
* Please note that uploading papers in their entirety to sites like Academia.edu and ResearchGate can have copyright implications. Before you post, make sure you know which version of your work can be shared under the terms of your publishing agreement. If sharing your research widely is a priority, consider publishing open access.
Other social media sites can also provide a great channel to reach your target audience. Exploring platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and LinkedIn can help you to identify active communities and conversations related to your research discipline. Explore these platforms first to see if relevant communities exist; if they do then it may be worthwhile to become involved. For example, business and industry audiences are more likely to be monitoring LinkedIn.
Maintaining research profiles
Research profiles need to be monitored and maintained, especially those on social media sites. You may wish to determine which profiles are most important to you and focus on maintaining those.