Unique Author Identification Number in Scientific Databases: A Suggestion

摘要

There is an increasing trend toward the use of electronic databases of scientific information, such as the PubMed database of the National Library of Medicine and the various databases of the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI). These databases are frequently used nowadays for various purposes, including the peer-review process of papers submitted for publication in scientific journals. Most of the scientific journals now use a Web-based peer-review system that offers editors, peer reviewers, and publishers the capability to check the previous papers published by authors submitting a manuscript for consideration for publication [1]. In addition, these databases are frequently searched in an attempt to select potential speakers for scientific conferences and to obtain data for possible collaborators for a multicenter study, as well as in the process of evaluating the research productivity of scientists—which is being used for various purposes.