Persistent Identifier Use Among World Data System Members

Persistent Identifiers (PIDs) are a crucial piece of the research process and aid in increasing discoverability of digital content and the individuals who create it. While there are many benefits to using PIDs, the adoption of PIDs is inconsistent and lacks standardization and clear policies. Furthermore, the knowledge of and desire for PID adoption does not appear to be widespread, which is a possible contribution to the lack of adoption among researchers and institutions. The inconsistent adoption of PIDs, particularly ORCIDs, RoRs, and NAANs, can be seen among World Data System (WDS) members. This paper aims to quantify the adoption of PIDs among WDS members, to identify potential barriers to adoption, and to recommend possible next steps to encourage PID adoption among WDS members.