How to write and publish a scientific paper - Barbara Gastel, Robert A. Day 2022

Solutions: orcid and more
How to list the authors and addresses
Preparing the text

Even when best practices for listing names are followed, authors can be difficult to distinguish from one another—for example, if two or more in the same field have the same name. Listing authors’ institutions can help in distinguishing scientists with the same name. But sometimes scientists with the same name work at the same institution. Also, some scientists move from one institution to another or do not state their names the same way on all their papers over the years, and so their work is hard to track. Fortunately, a mechanism now exists to unambiguously identify each author.

This mechanism is ORCID, which stands for “Open Researcher and Contributor ID.” An ORCID identifier is a persistent identification number that you can obtain and include with your research communications. When you apply at the ORCID website, you receive a unique identification number and establish an ORCID record online. You can then associate this number with your journal articles, grant proposals, and other writings, both in the future and retroactively. Many journals and funding sources now ask authors to supply their ORCID identifiers. Information about the ORCID initiative and a link through which to obtain an ORCID identifier appear at orcid.org.

Granted, ORCID doesn’t solve the “yes, that’s the same author” dilemma in all regards. For example, if you saw the name Barbara J. Vogel and the ORCID ID 0000-0003-0804-2953, would you realize that the person is Barbara Gastel unless you knew that she is married to Tom Vogel? ORCID can, however, greatly assist those taking the initiative to check authors’ identities.

Sometimes scientists who change their names want their new names to replace their old ones on previously published work. Accordingly, journal publishers have increasingly been adopting policies that allow retroactive name changes on digital editions of papers and other publications. The impetus for this option came from a group of transgender scientists. Sometimes the option also exists for other authors, such as those who change their names for marital or religious reasons and wish all their work to appear under their new names (DePaul 2021). Policies and procedures regarding name changes in the literature have been evolving. Authors considering seeking such changes should consult resources such as publishers’ websites for the latest information.