Library Help: Office For Open Research

A Web of Science ResearcherID is a unique identifier that links you to your publications in Clarivate’s Web of Science (WoS) database. It is tied to a Web of Science Researcher Profile—a record of your indexed publications, citation metrics, and (optionally) peer review activity. 

N.B. WoS profiles are often generated automatically when you publish in a WoS-indexed journal, but you will need to claim and verify your profile in order for it to become active and accurate. 

Use this page to: 

• Learn how to claim and validate your WoS Researcher Profile 

• Ensure your affiliation is set to University of Manchester 

• Understand why validation matters for global rankings 

• Link your WoS ResearcherID with your Pure account 
   

What is Web of Science (WoS)? 

WoS is a multidisciplinary platform provided by Clarivate that indexes academic journals, conference proceedings, and other scholarly literature. It underpins many global research analytics tools (like Clarivate InCites) and is used for institutional benchmarking and researcher recognition. 

• Read our full guide to Web of Science (opens in a new tab) 
   

What is a Web of Science Researcher Profile? 

Your WoS Researcher Profile is your personal record in Clarivate's database. It includes: 

• Your ResearcherID (a unique alphanumeric code, like A-1234-2025) used to differentiate researchers in the WoS database 

• Details of your publications indexed in Web of Science 

• Research indicators (e.g. Citation counts and h-index) 

• Your current and previous institutional affiliations (e.g. University of Manchester) 

• Optionally, peer review and editorial activity 

A profile may exist for you automatically, but you must: 

• Claim your profile 

• Verify your list of assigned publications 

• Ensure that  “University of Manchester” is listed as your affiliation 

• Receive a green tick within the platform ✅ This confirms that your profile is validated 

This is important because: 

Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researchers list and other analytics draw on these profiles. Accurate affiliation ensures that the University of Manchester will receive proper credit in ranking exercises such as the ARWU Shanghai ranking (which uses data from the Highly Cited Researchers exercise) 
 

How do I find and claim my Web of Science profile? 

Follow these steps: 

1. Go to Web of Science 
   Access WoS using the link available via Library Search. Sign in using your institutional or personal account. 
   (If you don’t yet have an account, click Register and follow the prompts.) 

2. Search for your name 
   Use the “Researchers” search tab to find your profile. Enter your full name. You can use the Affiliations and/or Web of Science Categories filters to help identify your profile quickly. 

3. Claim your profile 
   If a profile exists, click “Claim my record” at the top of the profile page. 
   You may be asked to confirm some publication matches. 
   
   

4. Create a profile (if none exists) 
   If no record is found, click “Create researcher profile” to set one up manually. You’ll be able to import publications and add your details.
    

How do I manage and validate my Web of Science profile? 

Once you’ve claimed your profile: 

1. Manage your publications 

• ✅ Verify authorship: Check that all the publications listed within the profile are genuinely yours. 

• Add missing publications using the search/import tool or by linking to your ORCID. 

• Remove incorrect items or duplicates. 

• Merge profiles if you appear under multiple records (contact Clarivate support if needed). 
   

2. Set your institution correctly 

• Ensure your primary affiliation is listed as University of Manchester. 

This is vital for inclusion in institutional counts like the Highly Cited Researchers list. 
 

3. Receive a “green tick” validation 

• The ✅ green tick confirms your identity has been verified. 

• Only you, as the profile owner, can make further edits. 

• If your profile lacks this symbol, it means that you still need to claim or confirm it. 

 

Linking your Web of Science profile to Pure 

Unlike Scopus, there is no automated matching facility between WoS and Pure. You must add your ResearcherID manually. To do this: 

1. Log in to Pure 

2. Go to your Personal tab and click “Edit profile” 

3. Scroll to the Identifiers (ID) section 

4. Click “Add ID” 

5. Select “WoS ResearcherID” 

6. Enter your full ID (e.g. A-1234-2025) 

7. Click Create

Your ResearcherID will now be stored in Pure.
 

(Optional) Link your ORCID for easier syncing 

To help keep your records consistent across systems, we recommend linking your ORCID iD to your Web of Science researcher profile after you’ve claimed and validated it. 

This allows: 

• Automatic syncing of publications from Web of Science to ORCID (and vice versa) 

• Reduced manual updates 

• Easier long-term profile maintenance 
   

How to link ORCID to Web of Science: 

1. Go to your claimed Web of Science researcher profile 

2. In your profile settings, go to Profile Settings 

3. Select ORCID Syncing and follow the instructions provided.

We recommend linking your ORCID to Pure first, to ensure it connects correctly with institutional systems: 

• Managing your ORCID in Pure – Guide 

Linking all systems together creates a fully integrated network for your research records. 

Need help? 

If you require further help with your WoS Researcher ID please contact the Office for Open Research