Other PIDs

RRID for Research Resources

The Research Resource Identifier (RRID) is a persistent identifier used to uniquely identify antibodies, model organisms, tools, cell lines, as well as software and databases used in research.

RRID was established in 2014 through a collaboration among scientists, publishers, and database curators. Key contributors to its development included Anita Bandrowski and Maryann Martone (University of California, San Diego), the FORCE11 community of scientists and librarians, the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

RRID Structure
The identifier consists of the prefix “RRID:” followed by the code of the authority that assigned the identifier (e.g., “AB” for the antibody registry, “SCR” for SciCrunch tools, etc.). Examples of RRID formats:

Given the broad scope of RRIDs, the assignment of these identifiers is distributed among authorities that represent individual research communities. These communities are organized by the type of research resource (for example, the ImageJ software has an RRID assigned by the SciCrunch Registry, which manages the “Software tools and databases” community). An overview of these communities can be found on the RRID website. The actual data (e.g., regarding antibodies, mice, or cells) is managed by specialized databases (such as Mouse Genome Informatics for mice, or Cellosaurus for cells). RRID provides a uniform format for these records and enables their integration with research outputs.

A number of journals have integrated RRIDs directly into their author guidelines and actively require or recommend their use.

How do I assign a RRID to a research resource?
On the RRID page, select the resource type (antibody, cell line, device, organism, etc.) and follow the instructions. For some resource types, you will be redirected to a page outside the RRID website, directly to the database of one of the authorities listed above.

PIDINST for Scientific Instruments

The need to identify scientific instruments led to the creation of the PIDINST schema in 2018. The global solution for identifying scientific instruments is backed by the Research Data Alliance (RDA) PIDINST Working Group. The group developed a metadata schema that allows physical instruments to be registered as distinct entities within the digital research ecosystem. Thanks to this identifier, it is possible to link instruments directly with the datasets they generate. The PIDINST schema provides space for incorporating other identifiers, such as ROR for organizations, ORCID for individuals, or RRID for resources used in biological sciences, enabling the interconnection of these entities within the context of a given instrument.

A PID for an instrument can be assigned in two ways:

  • Via DOI (in this case, assigned by the DataCite registration agency): The PIDINST schema is mapped directly to DataCite metadata elements.
  • Via ePIC: ePIC is an international consortium providing services for the assignment and resolution of persistent identifiers using the Handle system.
DataCite Cookbook
ePIC Cookbook
PIDINST search

ARK for Digital and Physical Objects

An Archival Resource Key (ARK) is a specific type of URL that can reliably identify practically any digital, physical, or abstract object. It enables the creation of a reliable link to scientific, academic, and cultural objects. It is widely used by libraries, archives, museums, publishers, and government agencies.

The ARK identifier was designed by John Kunze of the University of California in 2001. Today, several organizations collaborate on the operation and development of ARK through the ARK Alliance community.

Identifier Structure
Example: https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b8449691v/f29

This link consists of three main parts:

  • Host/Service Provider (NMA): https://gallica.bnf.fr/ – the address of the server that keeps the link functional.
  • Organization Code (NAAN): 12148 – a unique number assigned to the institution that originally registered the object.
  • The Object Name and Qualifiers: btv1b8449691v/f29 – the unique ID of the object (e.g., a specific page or version of a document).

Use of ARK
ARK is primarily used within the environment of archives, museums, and galleries to identify, for example, genealogical records, published content, scientific records, scanned texts, bibliographic records, museum specimens, public health documents, digitized objects and documents, historical figures, educational materials, artworks, historical maps, and vocabulary terms.

Organizations using ARKs

Information on other persistent identifiers will be added over time.

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