[A unique author ID is a possible solution to the name ambiguity problem].

When more than one person have the same name, names cannot be used to identify authors, which makes it difficult to connect authors with their scholarly work. Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) is a non-profit organization that aims to solve the name ambiguity problem by providing a personalized 16-digit ID to use as author identification for scholars. The main objective for ORCID is to become the focal point for the validation of scientific work. The outcome of the implementation of ORCID will provide a litmus test for the spread of this new initiative in the scientific communities.