A lecturer preparing a promotion case is asked for a publication list with citation metrics. In one database she finds her work split across three author profiles, because her papers are signed variously “Lan Thi Nguyen”, “Nguyen Thi Lan” and “L. T. Nguyen”. A fourth profile, “Nguyen, L.”, mixes her papers with a chemist of the same name at another university. It takes almost two weeks of correction requests to pull everything together.
Researchers with common family names, names that change order in English, or names that lose accents and diacritics are especially exposed. Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indian, Arabic and Hispanic names all run into versions of this. Managing your research identity is not vanity: it determines whether your work is found, counted and credited to the right person.
Profiles and what each one is for
| Profile | Managed by | Main role | Your job |
|---|---|---|---|
| ORCID iD | You | A persistent identifier that follows you throughout your career; required or encouraged by many journals and funders | Create, populate, connect to other systems |
| Google Scholar profile | You, with data harvested by Google | Shows publications and citations; highly visible in search | Remove misattributed items; control automatic updates |
| Scopus Author ID | Generated automatically from Scopus data | Used in many evaluations and rankings | Check it; request merges or splits when wrong |
| Web of Science ResearcherID | You, on Web of Science | The same, for Web of Science-based evaluations | Claim the profile and confirm publications |
| University profile page | Your institution and you | The trusted source for colleagues, students and journalists | Update every term |
You do not need a presence on every academic social network. These five, kept clean, cover most needs.
Choose one name form and keep it
The most important decision, ideally made before your first paper, is to pick one English-language form of your name and use it consistently. Take a name like “Nguyễn Thị Lan” as an example:
- Lan Thi Nguyen: given names first, family name last, as databases expect.
- Nguyen Thi Lan: original order, easily misread as “Lan” being the family name.
- Lan T. Nguyen: keeps the middle initial for disambiguation.
There is no correct form, only a consistent one. Many journals have separate fields for given and family names at submission; putting your family name in the family-name field is the surest way for databases to parse it correctly. Keep a middle name or initial if you can: “Lan T. Nguyen” is far easier to distinguish than “L. Nguyen”.
ORCID: a thirty-minute setup
- Register at orcid.org using a long-term email, with your institutional email as a secondary address, so you don't lose access when you move.
- List any other name forms you have used under “Also known as”.
- Add your employment and education.
- Import publications through linked services such as Crossref or Scopus rather than typing them, and allow those services to update your record.
- Put your ORCID iD in your email signature, CV and university page, and enter it every time you submit a paper.
When a journal has your ORCID at submission, the published paper can be pushed to your record automatically, which saves effort for years.
Google Scholar: convenient, but watch it
Google Scholar harvests work automatically, including from sources that aren't peer reviewed. Two common problems: papers by someone with a similar name attached to your profile, and your own paper split into duplicates. To keep it clean:
- Set it to email you suggested updates for approval rather than adding them automatically.
- Once a quarter, scan the list: remove items that aren't yours and merge duplicates.
- Verify the profile with your institutional email so it can be public and more trusted.
- Never add work that isn't yours to boost numbers; it is easy to spot and damages your reputation.
Scopus and Web of Science: check and request corrections
Scopus author profiles are generated automatically. Search yourself under several name forms. If you have more than one profile, or yours contains someone else's work, use Scopus's author profile correction tool. Linking Scopus to ORCID reduces future errors. Do the same on Web of Science if your institution uses it for evaluation.
Your university page: rarely maintained, often read
Overseas colleagues, prospective students and journalists often look here first. A good page includes a clear photo, two or three plain-language sentences on your research, five key publications with links, current projects, contact details, and links to your ORCID and Google Scholar profiles. Many pages show only a name and title, so simply completing these items sets you apart.
Try this: a one-morning identity audit
- Search Google Scholar, Scopus and Web of Science using at least three forms of your name. Note every profile you find.
- Build your definitive publication list in a spreadsheet with DOIs.
- Compare each profile against it: what's missing, what's extra.
- Request merges, splits and corrections on each platform. Screenshot the before state so you can track progress.
- Update ORCID and link it to Scopus and Web of Science.
- Update your university page and add links to your profiles.
- Set a reminder to repeat the check every six months.
Metrics: look, but don't worship
All these profiles display metrics such as h-index and total citations. They differ between platforms because each covers different sources; Google Scholar usually reports higher numbers because it indexes more widely. When you report metrics, always state the source and the date. And remember that metrics depend heavily on discipline: comparing a mathematician's h-index with a biomedical scientist's is comparing different things.
Something to do today: search Scopus for your name in its shortest form, surname plus initial. If you appear in more than one profile, or see papers that aren't yours, submit a correction this week, well before you need those numbers for a review.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
What is ORCID and do I need one?
ORCID is a persistent researcher identifier that you control. Many journals and funders require or strongly encourage it, so it is worth creating early and entering whenever you submit work.
How should I write my name on academic papers?
Pick one form and use it consistently, keeping a middle name or initial if possible, and put your family name in the family-name field at submission. Consistency matters more than any particular convention.
How do I remove papers that aren't mine from Google Scholar?
Open your profile, select the misattributed items and delete them, and merge any duplicates. Setting updates to require your approval helps prevent the problem recurring.
What should I do if I have multiple Scopus author profiles?
Use Scopus's author profile correction tool to merge your profiles or remove misattributed papers. Linking your profile to ORCID reduces future errors.
Why is my h-index different on Google Scholar and Scopus?
Each platform indexes a different set of sources, and Google Scholar's broader coverage usually gives higher figures. Always state the source and date when you report metrics.
