For more than five years, PLOS authors have used ORCID to make their professional lives easier. Now reviewers at PLOS can take advantage of the same benefits to track their contributions, claim credit, and build up their research profiles.

Same ORCID, now for reviews

Starting today, reviewers can enter their ORCID iD in the Editorial Manager submission system for all PLOS journals and opt-in to automatically get credit when they complete a review, the same way they would for their published articles. The ORCID reviewer record does not contain details about the specific manuscript and we’ve introduced a delay, so reviewers can track their work even while retaining their anonymity.

Being able to record more types of work is especially important for researchers who are working to build up their scholarly reputation. For those who are getting ready to apply for funding or a new position, credit for reviews helps demonstrate the full breadth of their contributions to the field.

“We thank PLOS for partnering with ORCID to provide their reviewers the opportunity to get credit for their critical contribution to the research ecosystem.” – Laure Haak, Executive Director of ORCID.

More ways to get credit = more reasons to review

Reviewers’ contributions to the publication process are essential. They are working researchers who give their time and expertise to help authors improve their work and help editors decide when a manuscript is ready to become part of the permanent scientific record. But recognition for reviews often flies under the radar, in part, because tools for tracking these contributions without compromising anonymity may not be available.

Earlier this year we rolled out options for signed and published peer review history. Combined with ORCID, we aim to give reviewers the tools and opportunities to claim credit for their reviews in a way that works for them.

How it works

ORCID is a persistent unique identifier that distinguishes you from other researchers with the same name and sticks with you throughout your careers. Even if you change your name, switch institutions, or move to another country, all of the contributions tracked by your ORCID are still identifiable and attributable to you

If you don’t already have an ORCID iD, you can sign up on the ORCID website. Then, follow the instructions on our site to link your iD to your Editorial Manager profile.

Once your ORCID is linked, you can opt-in to automatically alert ORCID anytime you complete a review. For each new review, you’ll get a message with the option to post the citation to your ORCID record. Click “authorize” to start tracking your contributions.