Centralizing Identity Management for Streamlined ORCID Integration
As a seasoned IT professional, I’ve witnessed the transformative impact of centralized identity management systems in higher education institutions. These systems grant users access to a wide range of internal and external resources through a single, secure authentication process. By integrating ORCID into such a centralized platform, universities can amplify the benefits of ORCID membership across their entire research community.
One institution that has successfully implemented this approach is Stanford University. This prestigious research institution recognized the strategic advantages of integrating ORCID into its centralized identity management system, known as the Stanford University Network Identifier (SUNetID). Let’s dive into the details of Stanford’s ORCID integration and explore how other universities can replicate this success.
Addressing Research Security Directives with ORCID Integration
The impetus for Stanford’s ORCID integration stemmed from the National Security Presidential Memorandum-33 (NSPM-33), a directive issued by the U.S. government to strengthen research security at institutions receiving federal funds. One of the key mandates of NSPM-33 is the requirement for research institutions to utilize digital persistent identifiers (DPIs), such as ORCID, to enhance the security and integrity of research activities.
Recognizing the importance of ORCID in meeting these research security guidelines, Stanford University assembled a multidisciplinary team to spearhead the integration process. This team, co-led by Tom Cramer, Associate University Librarian, and Zach Chandler, Director of Open Scholarship Strategy at the Stanford Data Science Initiative, worked closely with stakeholders from various departments, including Stanford Data Science’s Center for Open and REproducible Science (CORES), Stanford University IT, Stanford Libraries, and the Stanford School of Medicine.
Streamlining ORCID Integration through Centralized Identity Management
Central to Stanford’s approach was the integration of ORCID into its existing centralized identity management system, the SUNetID. By doing so, the university was able to leverage its well-established infrastructure and processes to streamline the ORCID adoption among its researchers.
“We leveraged the ORCID public API to build the portal for Stanford Researchers to link their SUNetID to ORCID iDs, enabling ease of use and data flow now and in the future,” explained Sangeetha Chowhan, MaIS Technical Manager at Stanford.
The integration process is designed as a self-service workflow, empowering users to control the linking, reading, and writing of data to their ORCID records. Once a user links their SUNetID and ORCID ID, the authenticated ORCID ID is stored in Stanford’s Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) directory, making it accessible to various internal systems and applications.
Unlocking Downstream Benefits Through Centralized ORCID Integration
By integrating ORCID at the centralized identity management level, Stanford University has unlocked a range of downstream benefits that extend beyond the initial NSPM-33 compliance requirements.
“We have a growing corpus to build from so that now in any downstream system that work is available,” said Zach Chandler. “We aspire for 100 percent adoption across all fields of study at Stanford.”
One such benefit is the seamless integration of ORCID data into Stanford’s institutional repositories and research profiling systems. The access tokens obtained during the ORCID linking process are stored in the LDAP directory, enabling other Stanford systems to utilize these tokens to update researchers’ ORCID records automatically. This streamlined approach ensures that research outputs, such as data deposits and publications, are accurately reflected in the researchers’ ORCID profiles.
Furthermore, the centralized ORCID integration allows Stanford to release the ORCID IDs as Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) metadata. This enables external systems that offer sign-in via the Stanford credential to access the ORCID IDs, fostering a distributed trust system within the broader research community.
Replicating Stanford’s Success: Key Considerations for Other Institutions
The success of Stanford’s ORCID integration into a centralized identity management system serves as a valuable case study for other research institutions seeking to amplify the impact of their ORCID membership.
1. Leverage Existing Identity Management Infrastructure
For universities that already have a robust centralized identity management system in place, integrating ORCID at this level can be a more streamlined and cost-effective approach than managing multiple ORCID integrations across various local systems.
2. Establish a Collaborative, Cross-Functional Team
As demonstrated by Stanford, a multidisciplinary team comprising stakeholders from different departments can be instrumental in driving a successful ORCID integration. This collaborative approach ensures that the implementation aligns with the institution’s broader goals and leverages the expertise of various stakeholders.
3. Empower Users with a Self-Service Workflow
Providing users with a self-service portal to link their ORCID IDs to the institutional identity system not only enhances user experience but also gives researchers greater control over their ORCID profiles.
4. Explore Downstream Integration Opportunities
By storing the authenticated ORCID IDs in the centralized identity directory, institutions can enable other internal and external systems to utilize this data, unlocking a range of opportunities to showcase research outputs and connect with the broader research ecosystem.
5. Leverage ORCID’s Resources and Community
As Zach Chandler mentioned, the support from the ORCID team and the ORCID US Community run by Lyrasis was instrumental in Stanford’s successful integration. Institutions looking to replicate this success should consider engaging with ORCID and its active user communities.
Conclusion: Unlocking the Potential of Centralized ORCID Integration
The case study of Stanford University’s ORCID integration into its centralized identity management system demonstrates the strategic advantages that research institutions can unlock by embracing this approach. By streamlining ORCID adoption, enhancing research security, and facilitating seamless data exchange, Stanford has positioned itself as a leader in the research community’s ongoing efforts to connect research and researchers.
As other institutions follow in Stanford’s footsteps, the collective impact of centralized ORCID integration has the potential to transform the research landscape, empowering researchers, enhancing institutional insights, and fostering greater collaboration and trust within the global research ecosystem.
