PIDapalooza 2021

No one memorizes their co-authors’ ORCIDs, yet we ask people to enter them into forms in data and publication systems. Why? PIDs are unique, but they aren’t user friendly. What if users could start typing a name or email and select from a list of matching ORCID entries? What if applications could store only the ORCID but display the name, email, and link to an ORCID profile? What if such capabilities could be added without a lot of custom programming? What if all PIDs worked this way?

We are exploring the potential to use generic Javascript libraries to provide these capabilities, using the Qualitative Data Repository at Syracuse University and the open-source Dataverse software as an initial platform. This presentation will include a simple demonstration using ORCID and raise the question as to whether PID providers should start providing such libraries to simplify adoption and increase the value of PIDs.