Contributor PID
Persistent identifiers for dataset creators (e.g., ORCID, ISNI, or other persistent researcher identifiers)
Justification
Persistent identifiers for creators enable disambiguation and credit tracking. DataCite supports nameIdentifier with ORCID as the primary scheme. Google recommends persistent IDs in schema.org creator markup. RDA-F1-01M (Essential) requires globally unique persistent identifiers. While ORCID is the most widely adopted researcher PID (20M+ registrations), the SHARE framework accepts any persistent, publicly resolvable identifier that uniquely identifies a contributor.
Practical Guide
Add ORCID. Growing rapidly — 20M+ researchers registered.
ORCID identifiers disambiguate researchers and enable persistent credit tracking. We couldn't measure ORCID impact in Zenodo's bulk export, but adoption is growing rapidly across all repositories. Dryad shows 0-45% ORCID trajectory, and DataCite lists it as a sub-property of the Mandatory Creator field. Adding ORCID is low-effort and high-value for researcher identification.
Why this signal matters despite the numbers
No Zenodo data available because the bulk metadata export doesn't include ORCID. Dryad shows growing adoption (0-45% trajectory). ORCID is backed by three converging standards (DataCite, schema.org, RDA) and 20M+ registered researchers.
For Repositories
- Integrate ORCID authentication for depositor identification
- Auto-populate creator ORCID from authentication flow
- Map to DataCite #2 Creator nameIdentifier with ORCID scheme
For Depositors
- Register for an ORCID at orcid.org if you don't have one
- Link your ORCID to your repository account for automatic inclusion
- Ensure your ORCID profile is up-to-date for accurate disambiguation
Growing standard with strong institutional backing. Low effort to implement. No citation data yet, but FAIR-justified.
Standards Sources
Convergence score: 3/4 independent sources —
| Standard | Field / Property | Obligation Level |
|---|---|---|
| DataCite 4.6 | #2 Creator (nameIdentifier) | Mandatory (sub-property) |
| schema.org | creator (with persistent ID) | Recommended |
| RDA FAIR | RDA-F1-01M | Essential |
FAIR Principle Alignment
Primary mapping: Findable (F1), Interoperable (I2)
- F1: (Meta)data are assigned globally unique and persistent identifiers
- I2: (Meta)data use vocabularies that follow FAIR principles
RDA FAIR Data Maturity Model Indicators:
- RDA-F1-01M: Metadata is identified by a persistent identifier
How This Signal Is Measured
Presence of a persistent identifier (e.g., ORCID) for at least one creator. Binary: contributor PID present or absent.
Empirical Evidence (Zenodo, n=1.3M)
Per-signal statistics use Zenodo as the primary validation source because it is the largest general-purpose repository with structured DataCite metadata, natural variance across all 25 signals, and available citation/usage data. Domain-specific repositories exhibit ceiling effects or restricted variance that preclude per-signal discrimination. Cross-repository validation is reported separately.
Data Source
Zenodo (CERN)
1,328,100 records analyzed
Interpretation: Not directly measurable in current Zenodo schema.
Cross-repository note: ORCID adoption measured via Dryad (atleast_one_orcid field) and growing across all repositories.
Quantitative Evidence
Scoring Formula
creator_orcid ∈ record → 4 pts
Contribution: 4 of 100 points · Harmonization bucket (0–20)
Empirical validation not yet available for this signal
Zenodo bulk metadata export does not include ORCID identifiers. Available in Dryad (0–45% adoption trajectory) and Figshare (via authors[].orcid_id API field). Cross-repository validation planned.
Method: Not yet computed · Source: Zenodo bulk export lacks ORCID field
H — Harmonization Bucket
All signals in this bucket: