Fact Sheet on the Use of ORCID and ROR

In order to establish a robust and networked data infrastructure, important persistent identification systems such as ORCiD and ROR are required. For this reason the Helmholtz Metadata Collaboration (HMC) is working together with Datahub, an initiative in the field of earth and environmental research, to develop recommendations on this matter.

Achieving cultural change in Helmholtz Centres requires clearly distributing data stewardship tasks. Management, technical and administrative staff, researchers, data curators, and data infrastructures all share responsibility for data quality, documentation, and long-term usability. The goal is a shared-load approach in creating, maintaining and curating critical information related to scientific datasets.

To improve information flow within centers, data maintenance tasks need to be clearly identified and distributed among different people - these are the “Institutional Information Interfaces (IIIs)”. These interfaces are not merely technical points of integration. They also define shared responsibilities and support the efficient handling of persistent identifiers (PIDs). Strong backing from senior management is essential to reduce bottlenecks and ensure smooth processes. This represents more than a technical upgrade - it's a cultural shift toward greater transparency, collaboration, and shared ownership.

HMC would like to summarize these tasks clearly in a number of fact sheets.
The fact sheets outline how ORCID and the Research Organization Registry (ROR) can be recorded and maintained consistently. It provides:

1. Fundamentals of ORCID as a person-level PID
2. Overview of ROR as an organizational PID and its connection to ORCID
3. Benefits of combined use (transparency, reputation, discoverability, reporting)
4. Practical implementation tips (creation/linking, process integration, synchronization)
5. Guidance on privacy, consent, and metadata maintenance
6. Recommendations for training, governance, and monitoring
7. Checklists for onboarding and ongoing use

The aim is to clarify roles, responsibilities, and technical steps so that ORCID and ROR can be effectively integrated into publication, funding, and reporting processes.

The poster illustrates the associated challenges and details and provides links to the online documents.