Library Subject Guides
Digital profiles enhance the visibility of your research
A wide range of persistent identifers helps us categorise our research environment: people, digital and physical objects, scientific instruments, projects and activities.
One of the most universally adopted identifiers is the Digital Object Identifier (DOI).
Whether intentionally or not, your digital research profile is out there. It is your opportunity to showcase your research strengths.
PURE is the University of York's chosen system for capturing and reporting on a wide range of research-related outcomes and activities.
PURE enables academic and research staff to maintain an up-to-date 'researcher profile' to showcase their research expertise on the publicly-available York Research Database (YRD). YRD's 'researcher profiles' are used by academics, funders and industry to identify potential collaborators for research projects and by potential students to identify supervisors.
A key element of PURE is that the profile data is selected and updated by each individual, ensuring academic and research staff have complete control over their public profiles on the YRD. See the PURE web pages for user guides and who to contact for support and training.
ORCID gives researchers and authors 
a single unique ID which works across the research landscape. See separate page for more information.
Unlike on Scopus and Web of Science, your Google Scholar Profile only exists once you have claimed it and made it publicly visible. As Google Scholar is still the most widely used research database, claiming your Google Scholar Profile improves your digital visibility.
Logging into your google account with your york.ac.uk address will allow you to create your profile following the 'My profile' link.
If you have published in a journal indexed on Scopus you will have a Scopus profile. If you have published under multiple affiliations, in multiple disciplines or under name variations, you will likely have several profiles. You can find your profile through the author search function (see also info in the bottom box of the 'evidence your strengths' bibliometrics guide). Tick all profiles that apply to you and 'request to merge'. This will allow you to verify each publication and ensure your Scopus profile represents you correctly.
Once your profile is correct, linking it with your ORCID will ensure that it will stay correct and up to date. Simply follow the 'Connect to ORCID' button at the head of your profile.
If you have published in a journal indexed on Web of Science you will have a Web of Science profile. If you have published under multiple affiliations, in multiple disciplines or under name variations, you will likely have several profiles. You can find your profile through the Researchers search function (see also info in the bottom box of the 'evidence your strengths' bibliometrics guide). Tick all profiles that apply to you and 'merge records'. This will allow you to verify each publication and ensure your Web of Science profile represents you correctly.
Once your profile is correct, linking it with your ORCID will ensure that it will stay correct and up to date.
ResearchGate, Academia.edu, LinkedIn, Twitter or Mastodon all have an active scientific community, providing opportunities to network, get advice and promote your research. As with all social media platforms (more info in separate subjectguide), these benefits should be weighed against time and effort needed to maintain your profile as well as data security considerations.