ORCID-CA FAQ
How can my institution join the ORCID-CA Consortium?
Any not-for-profit Canadian institution may join the ORCID-CA Consortium by contacting us and requesting a member license agreement. Please contact the Canadian Persistent Identifier Community Officer, Ursula Carmichael, and the Manager of the Canadian Persistent Identifier Community, John Aspler, at ORCID-CA@crkn.ca for additional information.
What would be the cost of membership for my institution?
The current annual membership costs include the ORCID License Fee (based on institutional total annual budget) and the ORCID-CA Member Support Fee (roughly $3,200 CA, currently paid in full by funding from the Digital Research Alliance of Canada). These amounts fluctuate based on the exchange rate and the total number of ORCID-CA members. Please see the "Join ORCID-CA" page for more information on membership fees.
What is the membership period?
The start date of a membership period for an institution is flexible, and membership fees are pro-rated. The current ORCID license continues until April 30th, 2025.
What are the benefits of ORCID-CA membership for my institution?
ORCID-CA membership grants members access to five API credentials for the Premium Member API, which allows institutions to register, deposit, edit and update record information associated with up to five separate systems. In addition, consortia members can access metrics related to the institutional use of ORCID via the Member Portal, as well as personalized technical and outreach support from ORCID-CA staff at the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (ORCID-CA@crkn.ca). For a comparison of membership benefits, please consult the following chart.
What are the next steps once I have joined the ORCID-CA Consortium?
ORCID-CA offers numerous communication channels and member resources, including a dedicated Listserv, members-only Slack channel), Member-Only Materials Drive, and onboarding documentation and support. Please contact the ORCID-CA Community Manager for more information (ORCID-CA@crkn.ca). The Canadian Persistent Identifier Community Officer, Ursula Carmichael, and the Manager of the Canadian Persistent Identifier Community, John Aspler, can also guide you through the Member Report, Integration Report, and the Affiliation Report which are available to members via the ORCID Member Portal. ORCID offers useful outreach resources and resources to help you plan your integration. You can also look at some of the sample workflows or go directly to theAPI documentation on github. You can sign up for the Google API Users mailing list, which is a good platform to connect with the ORCID development team and other ORCID API integrators.
How many members of my institution already have ORCID iDs?
You can use the Public API to conduct public searches for scholars at your institution. For more information, please see: “How do I find ORCID record holders at my institution?”. Once your institution has joined ORCID-CA, you will have access to a Member Report (overall information about your membership), an Integration Report (information about your integrations), and an Affiliation Report (about scholars at your organization) through ORCID's Member Portal.
What is the timeline for an ORCID integration?
Building an ORCID integration can take anywhere between two weeks to configure a vendor integration and six months to build a custom integration in a custom local system.
Who can I contact for questions about APIs, integrations and other technical issues?
Please contact the Canadian Persistent Identifier Community Officer, Ursula Carmichael, or the Manger of the Canadian Persistent Identifier Community, John Aspler, for technical questions. They will either address the question themselves or forward your request on to technical contacts at ORCID (support@orcid.org). John and Ursula can also coordinate a meeting as needed.
How can I share experiences and get help from other institutions implementing ORCID?
There is an ORCID-CA Listserv and Slack to encourage communication between ORCID-CA members. In addition, monthly ORCID Community Calls aim to highlight member success stories and integration challenges. To sign up for the Listserv or Slack, please contact ORCID-CA@crkn.ca.
Are there other institutions implementing ORCID with systems (e.g., Clarivate, OJS) like mine?
ORCID-CA has created a list of its current members and their implementation projects. You can contact us at ORCID-CA@crkn.ca for more information and to help arrange a conversation between institutions. The ORCID-CA Listserv and Slack, and the ORCID API Users Group are also good spaces to connect.