The efficient management of scientific information is one of the great challenges of modern science. And Portugal has managed to achieve a leading position in this transformation process, with an innovative strategy and a strong investment in interoperability, through the PTCRISan integrated information ecosystem on national scientific activity.
The first step was, in 2013, the adoption of ORCID by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) as a unique identifier for researchers, which has made it possible to reduce the bureaucratic burden while ensuring greater reliability and accessibility to data on science.
The introduction of ORCID in the evaluation competition for Research and Development Units (RDUs) was one of the major drivers of this transition, as it encouraged researchers to register and keep their profiles up to date. This measure strengthened the visibility and traceability of scientific activities, and facilitated the management and monitoring of academic production.
The next step was to integrate ORCID into the national scientific curriculum platform CIÊNCIAVITAE through synchronization via PTCRISync. This synergy consolidated the use of the unique identifier in Portugal and resulted in a significant increase in adherence: by 2019, around 67% of Portuguese researchers had an ORCID with a high level of profile completeness, placing the country among the pioneers in integrating this system into the international scientific ecosystem(Measuring Research Information Citizenship Across ORCID Practice, Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics, 7, 779097 - March 2022).
In the following years, adherence continued at an increasing pace. Between 2020 and 2024, the percentage of Portuguese researchers with ORCID rose to around 80%, consolidating the country's position as a leader in the implementation of this identifier. However, the completeness of profiles fell slightly as a result of the introduction of new ORCID features that are not yet synchronized with CIÊNCIAVITAE.
Despite this challenge, FCT maintains a leading role in the promotion and adoption of unique identifiers, ensuring that Portugal continues to lead the way globally in the use of ORCID by funded researchers. This commitment is essential to ensure an unequivocal link between authors, funding, projects and scientific output, promoting a more transparent and efficient science.
And through PTCRIS it is possible to consolidate a national scientific ecosystem, where information flows in an integrated and accessible way, connecting researchers, institutions and knowledge.
