ORCID and Phone Fields at OJS Registration

The OJS registration form is the first step for many authors, reviewers, editors, and readers. It collects basic account details and allows users to participate in the journal workflow. For some journals, the default registration fields may not be enough. Editors may want to collect ORCID iD, phone number, affiliation, country, research interests, reviewer expertise, or other useful profile information. These fields can improve user records and editorial communication, but they must be added with care.

Why ORCID and Phone Fields Matter

ORCID helps identify researchers accurately, especially when names are similar, spellings vary, or authors publish under different name formats. A researcher may change institutions, use initials in one paper and full name in another, or share a name with many other researchers. ORCID gives a stable researcher identifier that can support cleaner author profiles, metadata quality, and academic visibility.

Phone numbers can also be useful in limited cases. For example, an editorial office may need to contact an author urgently about missing publication files, copyright confirmation, APC communication, production approval, or time-sensitive issue publication. However, phone numbers are more sensitive than ordinary profile fields. They should be collected only when there is a clear reason and handled responsibly.

Balancing Useful Data and Easy Registration

A common mistake is adding too many fields to the registration form. Long forms can discourage real authors and reviewers from creating accounts. If users feel the registration process is heavy, confusing, or intrusive, they may abandon it before completing submission. A journal should collect enough information to support editorial work, but not so much that the signup process becomes difficult.

Before adding ORCID, phone, affiliation, or expertise fields, the editorial team should ask one simple question: “Will this field be used for a real journal process?” If the answer is yes, the field may be useful. If the answer is no, it is better not to collect it. Every field should have a purpose.

Benefits of Adding ORCID at Registration

• Helps distinguish researchers with similar or identical names.
• Improves author profile quality and researcher identification.
• Supports cleaner metadata for articles and submissions.
• Reduces confusion when authors use different name formats.
• Can help journals follow modern scholarly publishing practices.

Benefits of Adding Phone Fields

A phone field can support faster communication, but it should not replace official email communication. In academic publishing, most important communication should remain documented through email or the OJS workflow. Phone contact may be helpful only for urgent follow-up, administrative coordination, or publisher-level communication.

If a journal collects phone numbers, it should explain why. A short note near the field can help users understand that the number will be used only for journal-related communication. This improves transparency and reduces hesitation.

• Useful for urgent editorial or production communication.
• Helpful when authors do not respond to important emails.
• Can support journal office coordination for accepted papers.
• Should be collected only when there is a real need.

Required vs Optional Fields

Not every extra field should be required. ORCID is valuable, but not every author or reviewer may already have one. If ORCID is made mandatory, some users may stop registration because they do not know how to provide it. A better approach is often to make ORCID optional or recommended, with a short explanation.

Phone number should usually be optional unless the journal has a strong administrative reason to require it. Required phone fields may discourage international users, especially if the form does not support country codes or different phone formats. Optional fields create less pressure and still allow willing users to provide the information.

Privacy and Consent Considerations

Additional registration fields must match the journal’s privacy policy. If the journal collects phone numbers or researcher identifiers, users should know why the data is collected, how it will be used, who can access it, and whether it will be displayed publicly. Sensitive contact details should not be shown on public profile pages unless the user clearly chooses to display them.

Privacy-friendly registration builds trust. The journal should collect only necessary data and protect it properly. Administrators should also limit access to user profile information based on roles. Not every user needs to see private contact information.

How ORCID Helps Editorial Workflow

ORCID can help editors identify authors more accurately during submission and publication. It can also support reviewer identification when experts have similar names. For journals with international authors, ORCID is especially useful because name formats may vary across regions. Some researchers use initials, some use full middle names, and some change affiliation during their career.

When ORCID is collected early during registration, the journal can maintain better user records from the beginning. It also reduces the need to request the same information later during submission or publication.

Phone Field Format and Validation

If the phone field is added, the format should be flexible enough for international users. A strict local phone validation may create problems for users from other countries. The form should allow country codes, spaces, plus signs, and reasonable number lengths. A placeholder such as “+91 9876543210” or “Include country code” can help users enter the number correctly.

Poor validation can block real users. For example, a form that accepts only 10 digits may work for one country but fail for international authors. Since journals often receive submissions from different countries, phone validation should be simple and inclusive.

Custom Plugin or Template Modification

ORCID and phone fields can be added through plugin-based customization or direct theme/template-level changes, depending on the OJS version and requirement. A plugin approach is usually better when the field needs to be stored, validated, displayed in user profiles, and maintained across upgrades. Direct template edits may be faster, but they can become harder to maintain during OJS upgrades.

Any customization should be documented. The developer should record which files were changed, which database fields or settings were used, how validation works, and where the field appears. Documentation makes future upgrades and troubleshooting easier.

Where the Data Should Appear

Collecting a field is only useful if the data appears where administrators or editors need it. ORCID may be useful in the user profile, submission metadata, author information, or editorial review screen. Phone number may be useful only in the private user profile or administrative view. It should not automatically appear on public article pages.

Before development, decide where each field should be visible. This prevents unnecessary exposure of private details and ensures the editorial team can actually use the collected information.

Testing the Registration Form

Any change to the registration form should be tested carefully. Registration is a critical entry point for new users. If the form breaks, authors may not be able to submit manuscripts and reviewers may not be able to create accounts. Testing should include desktop, mobile, different browsers, required field validation, optional field behavior, email verification, and profile editing.

• Test registration with ORCID filled and ORCID empty.
• Test phone field with country code and without country code.
• Check that users can edit the fields later in their profile.
• Verify that private fields are not displayed publicly by mistake.
• Test mobile layout to ensure fields are easy to complete.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Making every extra field mandatory without a strong reason.
• Collecting phone numbers without explaining how they will be used.
• Using strict phone validation that blocks international users.
• Displaying private contact details on public pages.
• Changing registration templates without documenting custom code.
• Forgetting to update privacy policy language after adding new fields.

Best Practice Field Labels

Field labels should be simple and clear. Instead of using technical wording, use labels that normal users understand. For ORCID, “ORCID iD” is clear. For phone, “Phone Number” or “Contact Number” is enough. A short helper note can explain whether the field is optional and how it will be used.

Example helper text for ORCID can be: “Add your ORCID iD if available to help identify your researcher profile.” Example helper text for phone can be: “Used only for journal-related communication when needed.” These short notes help users understand the purpose of the field.

Mobile-Friendly Registration

Many users register from mobile devices. If extra fields are added, the mobile layout should remain clean. Inputs should have enough spacing, labels should be readable, and validation messages should be easy to understand. Long forms on mobile can feel difficult, so optional fields should be clearly marked.

If the journal requires multiple extra fields, consider grouping them under a clear section such as “Research Profile” or “Contact Details.” This makes the form easier to understand and less cluttered.

Practical Checklist

• Decide which extra fields are truly needed for editorial work.
• Make ORCID recommended instead of mandatory unless your policy requires it.
• Keep phone number optional unless there is a clear administrative reason.
• Explain why private contact details are collected.
• Use flexible phone validation for international users.
• Update privacy policy and user communication language.
• Test registration, profile editing, public display, and mobile layout before launch.

GetOJS Recommendation

GetOJS recommends collecting enough profile data to support editorial work while keeping registration short enough for real authors and reviewers to complete. ORCID is a valuable field for researcher identification and metadata quality. Phone numbers can be useful for urgent communication, but they should be optional, private, and clearly explained.

The best registration form is simple, respectful, and purposeful. It should collect useful information without creating unnecessary friction. With the right configuration and testing, ORCID and phone fields can improve journal records while keeping the user experience smooth.