ORCID ID Detector - Browser Extension (v1.5)

Automatically detect ORCID IDs on web pages and display researcher information in interactive popups.

Now available for Chrome and Firefox!

Important Disclaimer

This is a third-party browser extension, NOT created or endorsed by ORCID. This is NOT official ORCID software.

This independent tool uses ORCID's public API to enhance the browsing experience when encountering ORCID identifiers on web pages. ORCID® is a registered trademark of ORCID, Inc.

Features

• Automatic Detection: Finds ORCID IDs in various formats across any webpage
• Enhanced Existing Links: Detects sites that already integrate ORCID (with logo images) and adds interactive features
• Visual Enhancement: Adds clickable magnifying glass icons next to detected IDs
• Profile Previews: Shows researcher information in beautiful popup tooltips
• Direct Links: Quick access to full ORCID profiles
• Real-time Processing: Works with dynamic content and single-page apps
• Responsive Design: Adapts to different screen sizes and themes
• Dark Mode Support: Automatically adapts to dark/light theme preferences
• Accessibility: Supports high contrast and reduced motion preferences

Screenshots

Note: Screenshots coming soon! For now, you can test the extension yourself to see it in action.

ORCID ID Detection

The extension works in two modes:

Plain Text ORCID IDs:

• Highlights the ID in green with an underline
• Adds a small magnifying glass icon next to it
• Makes both clickable for profile viewing

Sites with Existing ORCID Integration:

• Detects ORCID links that already have ORCID logo images
• Adds the magnifying glass icon next to the existing ORCID logo
• Provides quick access to detailed profile information without leaving the page

Profile Popup

Clicking on an enhanced ORCID ID shows:

• Researcher's name and verified ORCID iD
• Current institutional affiliation
• Number of research works listed
• External links (personal website, social profiles)
• Direct link to full ORCID profile

Installation

Chrome

Method 1: Load Unpacked Extension (Developer Mode)

1. Download the extension files to your computer
2. Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions/
3. Enable Developer Mode (toggle in the top right)
4. Click "Load unpacked" and select the extension folder
5. The extension is now active! Look for the ORCID logo in your toolbar

Method 2: From Chrome Web Store (Coming Soon)

Chrome Web Store publication in progress. Check back soon!

Firefox

Method 1: Load Temporary Add-on (Developer Mode)

1. Download the extension files to your computer
2. Open Firefox and navigate to about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox
3. Click "Load Temporary Add-on"
4. Select the manifest.json file from the extension folder
5. The extension is now active! Note: Temporary add-ons are removed when Firefox restarts

Method 2: From Firefox Add-ons

Install from Firefox Add-ons

Usage

Automatic Detection

The extension automatically scans web pages for ORCID IDs in these formats:

• `https://orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000

    `
  

• `https://www.orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000

    `
  

• `orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000

    `
  

• `0000-0000-0000-0000

    ` (plain format)
  

• Works with sandbox URLs too

Viewing Profiles

1. Look for the green underlined ORCID IDs with small magnifying glass icons
2. Click on either the ID or logo to view profile information
3. Profile popup shows:
   • Researcher name
   • Current affiliation
   • Research works count
   • External links
4. Click outside or the X button to close the popup

Extension Management

Click the magnifying glass icon in your browser toolbar to:

• Toggle the extension on/off
• View detection statistics
• Access extension information

Technical Details

ORCID ID Detection

• Uses robust regex patterns to match various ORCID ID formats
• Detects existing ORCID links with logo images (e.g., orcid_16x16.png)
• Processes both static and dynamic content
• Handles single-page applications with mutation observers
• Avoids duplicate processing for performance
• Works seamlessly on sites that already integrate ORCID identifiers

API Integration

• Uses ORCID's public API (no authentication required)
• Fetches profile data in real-time
• Caches responses to avoid duplicate API calls
• Handles API errors gracefully

Privacy & Security

100% Privacy-Friendly - Zero Data Collection

This extension is designed with your privacy as the top priority:

• No data collection: Extension doesn't collect, store, or transmit ANY personal data
• No remote servers: We don't operate any servers - no data is sent to us
• Local processing only: All ORCID ID detection happens locally in your browser
• No tracking: Zero analytics, no usage statistics, no behavior tracking
• No cookies: No tracking cookies or persistent identifiers
• Public API only: Only accesses publicly available ORCID information via direct API calls
• You're in control: API calls only happen when YOU click on an ORCID ID
• Memory-only cache: Temporary caching in browser memory only, cleared when you close the browser
• Open source: All code is visible and auditable

The ONLY external communication is direct API calls from your browser to ORCID's public API (pub.orcid.org) when you explicitly click on an ORCID ID. These calls retrieve publicly available researcher information.

See our Privacy Policy for complete details.

Development

File Structure

orcid-chrome-extension/
├── manifest.json          # Extension configuration
├── content.js            # Main content script
├── styles.css            # Extension styles
├── popup.html            # Extension popup interface
├── icons/                # Extension icons (16px, 32px, 48px, 128px)
└── README.md            # This file

Key Components

Content Script (content.js)

• Scans pages for ORCID IDs using regex
• Creates interactive elements
• Handles API calls to ORCID
• Manages popup display and positioning

Styles (styles.css)

• Defines popup appearance
• Handles theme adaptations (dark/light mode)
• Ensures accessibility compliance
• Prevents conflicts with host page styles

Popup (popup.html)

• Extension management interface
• Toggle functionality
• Usage statistics
• Feature overview

Supported ORCID ID Formats

The extension recognizes ORCID IDs in various formats commonly found on academic websites:

https://orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000
https://www.orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000
http://orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000
orcid.org/0000-0000-0000-0000
0000-0000-0000-0000
ORCID: 0000-0000-0000-0000
ORCID ID: 0000-0000-0000-0000
Sandbox URLs (sandbox.orcid.org)

Browser Compatibility

• Chrome: Version 88+
• Firefox: Version 109+
• Edge: Chromium-based versions
• Other Chromium browsers: Should work but not officially tested

Permissions Explained

The extension requests minimal permissions:

• activeTab: Allows reading content of the current tab when clicked
• https://pub.orcid.org/*: Enables API calls to fetch profile data
• Host permissions: Required to run content script on all websites

Troubleshooting

Extension Not Working

1. Check if Developer Mode is enabled in chrome://extensions/
2. Reload the extension by clicking the refresh icon
3. Refresh the webpage you're testing on

ORCID IDs Not Detected

1. Ensure the ID format is supported (see list above)
2. Check browser console for any JavaScript errors
3. Try disabling other extensions that might conflict

Profile Popup Not Showing

1. Check your internet connection (API calls required)
2. Verify the ORCID ID is valid by visiting it directly
3. Some ORCID profiles may have limited public information

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to:

• Report bugs and issues
• Suggest new features
• Submit pull requests
• Improve documentation

License

MIT License - feel free to use, modify, and distribute.

Related Links

• ORCID Official Website
• ORCID API Documentation
• Chrome Extension Developer Guide

What's Next

Future features under consideration:

• Custom highlighting styles
• Research collaboration suggestions
• Advanced filtering options

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Made for the research community