If you plan to publish in a Category “B” journal or submit an article to a Scopus-indexed journal in 2026, ORCID is no longer optional. As of February 14, 2026, ORCID is an official mandatory requirement of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine for all articles published in academic journals. The absence of an ORCID identifier means one thing: the article does not meet the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Science’s regulations and cannot be accepted by the specialized academic council.
What is ORCID and why do researchers need it?
ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is an open, nonprofit global system that provides each researcher with a unique 16-digit digital identifier in the following format: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-XXXX-XXXX. It is a permanent “digital passport” for researchers that remains unchanged even if they change their last name, place of employment, or field of research.
The main goal of ORCID is to eliminate confusion among researchers with the same or similar names, prevent duplicate publications, and avoid errors in citation attribution.
What ORCID Offers Researchers:
- Proper citation of all publications—articles do not “get lost” in search engines;
- A single repository for academic achievements: publications, grants, and affiliations all in one registry;
- The opportunity to submit articles to prestigious international journals;
- Links to Scopus Author ID and Web of Science ResearcherID profiles;
- Participation in international rankings and grant competitions.
Registration is free for individuals. As of 2025, the ORCID community includes more than 10.6 million actively engaged researchers from 192 countries and 1,492 member organizations.
Official Position of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine: ORCID as a Mandatory Requirement Starting in 2026
Key regulatory document: Order No. 56 of the Ministry of Education and Science, dated January 19, 2026
On January 19, 2026, the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine issued Order No. 56 “On Amendments to the Procedure for Compiling the List of Scientific and Professional Publications of Ukraine,” registered with the Ministry of Justice on January 28, 2026, under No. 129/45523. The order entered into force February 14, 2026 and remains in effect until June 1, 2029.
For more details on the changes to the requirements for “B” category journals in 2026, read our article: Category “B” 2026: List Updated—What Has Changed and What It Means for Publications.
ORCID in Article Submission Guidelines (effective February 14, 2026)
According to the official FAQ from the Ministry of Education and Science and the State Scientific and Technical Library of Ukraine (updated version 2), section 4.6, the HTML and/or PDF version of every scientific article published after February 14, 2026, MUST contain:
- ISSN number of the publication;
- DOI of the article;
- Author(s)' ORCID;
- Open Access License (if available);
- The date the article was first submitted, accepted for publication, and published.
Important: There is no retroactive effect. These requirements do not apply to archived articles published before February 14, 2026.
What does “mandatory requirement” mean for an author?
Effective February 14, 2026, the absence of an ORCID in an article’s metadata constitutes a direct violation of the requirements of the Regulations for Category B journals. Publications are required to verify the presence and validity of each author’s ORCID iD prior to publication. Journals without the appropriate digital formatting risk losing their professional status during the annual monitoring by the Ministry of Education and Science.
Scopus Requirements for Authors' ORCID Identifiers
Scopus (published by Elsevier) does not impose a single mandatory requirement for all authors to have an ORCID, but it actively integrates ORCID into all manuscript submission processes. In practice, this works as follows:
- Almost all Elsevier journals allow—and a significant number require—registration in Editorial Manager via ORCID iD;
- Starting in 2023, it will be virtually impossible to publish in Q1 and Q2 journals without an ORCID;
- Leading publishers—Springer Nature, Wiley, IEEE, Cambridge University Press, and BMJ—have introduced a requirement for corresponding authors to provide their ORCID;
- More than 7,000 journals worldwide collect ORCID identifiers from corresponding authors.
ORCID and Scopus Author ID: An Important Connection
Scopus automatically generates a Scopus Author ID for anyone who has at least one publication in the database. However, without an ORCID link, the system may create several different profiles for a single researcher—due to variations in the spelling of their name or different institutions. This leads to:
- An underestimated real h-index;
- Distribution of citations across multiple profiles;
- Difficulty in tracking scientific output.
For more details on what a researcher's profile looks like in Scopus and what the committee reviews during a defense, read here: What a Researcher's Scopus Profile Looks Like: What the Committee Checks at a Defence.
Step-by-Step Guide to Registering for ORCID in 2026
Registration takes no more than 10 minutes. Below is a clear step-by-step guide without unnecessary details.
Step 1. Go to the website and start the registration process
Go to: https://orcid.org/register. The website does not have a full Ukrainian interface, but the browser’s automatic translation feature (Chrome, Firefox) makes it possible to understand all the fields. Important: Registration is permitted only for yourself—registering other people is prohibited by ORCID’s rules.
Step 2. Fill out the registration form
Enter: your first and last name in the Latin alphabet (the Cyrillic alphabet causes indexing issues—you should add it later in the “Also known as” field); a valid email address (enter it twice to confirm); a password—at least 8 characters: a number, a Latin letter, and a special character. After clicking “Register,” you’ll receive a confirmation email.
Step 3. Confirming Registration and Obtaining an ORCID iD
Click the link in the email. Without confirmation, access to all features will be limited. Your ORCID iD will appear on the left side of your profile, below your name.
Step 4. Filling Out Your Profile
Fill in: “Also known as” — alternative spellings of the name (Cyrillic, transliteration); affiliation (place of work/study) — required for verification by the Ministry of Education and Science; country and keywords related to your research interests; biography and educational background.
Step 5. Linking posts using "Search & Link"
In the “Works” section, click “Add works” → “Search & link” → select “Scopus – Elsevier” or “Crossref” → click “Authorize” → review the suggested publications and confirm the ones that belong to you → "Save."
Step 6. Synchronizing Scopus Author ID with ORCID
Find your Scopus Author Profile at scopus.com → click “Connect to ORCID” → log in to ORCID and confirm access → review and confirm your list of publications in Scopus. After that, your ORCID iD will appear in your Scopus profile.
Step 7. Configure Privacy Settings
ORCID offers three privacy levels. For ORCID to function properly as an identifier in publications, at least your name and ORCID iD must be publicly accessible (“Everyone”). It is also recommended that you make the “Works” and “Affiliations” sections public.
What's important not to miss:
- One researcher—only one ORCID. Duplicates can be removed via the “Duplicates” section on orcid.org;
- Sign up using the email address you used when posting;
- Add your personal email address as a backup—your work email may become inaccessible if you change jobs;
- Please include your ORCID profile in every grant application and in the field provided in the manuscript submission system.
Common Mistakes Researchers Make When Using ORCID
Most problems arise not because the system is complex, but because of simple oversights during registration or subsequent use.
1. Multiple ORCID accounts
The most common mistake: having two or more ORCID iDs due to a forgotten old account or registration through an institution. This fragments research output and lowers metrics. Solution: Submit a request to remove duplicates in the “Duplicates” section on orcid.org.
2. Registering a Name in Cyrillic
If the first and last names are entered only in Cyrillic, the system cannot correctly link the posts to the profile. Solution: Enter the primary name in Latin script and add the Cyrillic version under “Also known as.”
3. Incomplete profile
An empty profile with no affiliation, keywords, or publications does not serve as an identifier. Category “B” journals and the Ministry of Education and Science require an up-to-date, verified profile.
4. Manually entering your ORCID into the submission form
Some authors enter their ORCID iD manually instead of using the authentication button. Only an authenticated (verified via the API) ORCID is accepted as a valid link.
5. Private profile sections
If "Works" or "Affiliations" are set to "Only Me," article submission systems and peer-review platforms will not receive this data. Set these key sections to "Everyone."
6. No link between Scopus and ORCID
Without mutual linking, publications may not be included in the calculation of the h-index or may be counted in different Scopus profiles.
To learn why some journals reject articles due to problems with author identification, read here: Why Articles Are Rejected by a Scopus Journal: Top Reasons and How to Avoid Them.
How ORCID Affects the Hirsch Index and an Author's Visibility in Scopus
Without an ORCID link, Scopus may automatically create several different profiles for a single researcher—due to variations in the transliteration of their name or different institutions. Each of these profiles will have an incomplete list of publications and an underestimated h-index.
When ORCID is integrated, the ORCID ↔ Scopus Author ID mapping is:
- Improves the accuracy of citation counting—citations are not split across multiple profiles;
- Prevents the mistaken attribution of articles written by others;
- Ensures that metadata is complete when a manuscript is submitted;
- Allows you to search for an author in Scopus using their ORCID iD—which is especially important for researchers with common names.
If your ORCID is linked and the publisher has registered a DOI with your ORCID iD in Crossref, the Crossref Auto-Update feature automatically updates the list of publications in your ORCID profile without any manual action—this ensures that your profile remains up to date for grant applications.
To learn about the factors that actually influence the Hirsch index—and what doesn't work—read: 7 Factors That Actually Affect Your Hirsch Index.
Key Facts and Official Sources
| Fact | Source / Year |
|---|---|
| More than 10.6 million active researchers in the ORCID system | ORCID Annual Report, 2025 |
| 1,492 member organizations in 192 countries | ORCID Annual Report, 2025 |
| Order No. 56 of the Ministry of Education and Science dated January 19, 2026 — ORCID is mandatory as of February 14, 2026 | Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, Ministry of Justice No. 129/45523 |
| Starting in 2023, it will no longer be possible to publish in Q1/Q2 Scopus journals without an ORCID | TNTU Materials |
| More than 7,000 journals collect ORCID identifiers from corresponding authors | ORCID, info.orcid.org |
| An ORCID is required for authors at Springer Nature, Wiley, IEEE, Cambridge University Press, and the BMJ | ORCID Open Letter |
Conclusion
ORCID in 2026 is not a technical nicety or an optional feature for “advanced” researchers. It is a basic requirement for proper publication in “B” category journals and leading Scopus-indexed publications.
Three simple conclusions:
- If you don't have an ORCID yet, sign up today. It takes 10 minutes and is free;
- If you have an ORCID but it is not linked to your Scopus Author ID, sync your profiles. This directly affects your h-index;
- If you are planning to defend your dissertation, make sure that your publications in “B” category journals include your ORCID iD in the metadata. Without it, the article will not be counted.
Check how many posts you need to meet the requirements and what requirements you must follow in 2026: How Many Publications Are Needed to Defend a PhD in 2026: A Complete Guide.
