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How MyResearchFocus fits with ORCID, My NCBI and Google Scholar

You probably use at least one of them already, and you should keep doing so. Each does a different job. Here is what MyResearchFocus adds, and where the others are the better tool.

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Side by side

Four tools, four different jobs.

They overlap less than you might think. Here is what each one does.

What it’s for

ORCID: A persistent identifier, and a record of your work that you control
My NCBI: NIH’s citation list: feeds SciENcv and tracks public access compliance
Google Scholar: A public profile with citation metrics from across the web
MyResearchFocus: A confirmed record of your publications and NIH grants, or your whole group’s

Where publications come from

ORCID: Added by you, or by sources you authorize, such as Crossref
My NCBI: Sent from PubMed or uploaded by you
Google Scholar: Google Scholar’s index: journals, preprints, theses and books, across disciplines
MyResearchFocus: PubMed: biomedicine and the life sciences

New publications

ORCID: Added automatically only by sources you have authorized
My NCBI: Added by you
Google Scholar: Added automatically, or emailed to you to review
MyResearchFocus: Found automatically, scored for confidence, and confirmed by you

Grants

ORCID: Funding entries added by you or by sources you authorize
My NCBI: NIH awards linked to papers for public access compliance
Google Scholar: Not tracked
MyResearchFocus: NIH grants, kept current from NIH RePORTER

Citation metrics

ORCID: Not shown
My NCBI: Not shown
Google Scholar: Citation counts, h-index and i10-index, from across the web
MyResearchFocus: Citation counts and h-index, from within PubMed

Research groups

ORCID: One record per person
My NCBI: One bibliography per person
Google Scholar: One profile per person
MyResearchFocus: Labs, departments and centers, with every member’s work in one list

How MyResearchFocus compares with ORCID, My NCBI and Google Scholar
	ORCID	My NCBI	Google Scholar	MyResearchFocus
What it’s for	A persistent identifier, and a record of your work that you control	NIH’s citation list: feeds SciENcv and tracks public access compliance	A public profile with citation metrics from across the web	A confirmed record of your publications and NIH grants, or your whole group’s
Where publications come from	Added by you, or by sources you authorize, such as Crossref	Sent from PubMed or uploaded by you	Google Scholar’s index: journals, preprints, theses and books, across disciplines	PubMed: biomedicine and the life sciences
New publications	Added automatically only by sources you have authorized	Added by you	Added automatically, or emailed to you to review	Found automatically, scored for confidence, and confirmed by you
Grants	Funding entries added by you or by sources you authorize	NIH awards linked to papers for public access compliance	Not tracked	NIH grants, kept current from NIH RePORTER
Citation metrics	Not shown	Not shown	Citation counts, h-index and i10-index, from across the web	Citation counts and h-index, from within PubMed
Research groups	One record per person	One bibliography per person	One profile per person	Labs, departments and centers, with every member’s work in one list

Use them together

Keep what you have. Add what’s missing.

MyResearchFocus does the part none of them do: finding your new PubMed papers without you searching, having you confirm them, and keeping your NIH grants and your group’s work in the same place.

ORCID

Keep your ORCID iD

NIH now requires one for biosketches, and publishers and funders ask for it. Add it to your MyResearchFocus profile and we use it to match the papers that carry it.

My NCBI

Keep My NCBI for your biosketch

NIH biosketches are prepared in SciENcv, which draws on My Bibliography and ORCID. Export your confirmed publications from MyResearchFocus as a file to upload there. My Bibliography is also where NIH-funded researchers track public access compliance.

Google Scholar

Keep Google Scholar for reach

Its index goes well beyond PubMed, so its coverage and citation counts are broader than ours. Use it for work outside biomedicine.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Do I still need an ORCID iD?

Yes. NIH requires an ORCID iD from anyone preparing a biosketch or Current and Pending (Other) Support, and many publishers and funders ask for one too. Add yours to your MyResearchFocus profile, and we use it to match the papers that carry it.

Does MyResearchFocus replace My NCBI or SciENcv?

No. NIH biosketches are prepared in SciENcv, which draws your citations from My NCBI’s My Bibliography and from ORCID. MyResearchFocus keeps a confirmed, current list of your PubMed publications and exports it as a file you upload to My Bibliography, so SciENcv has every one of them to choose from.

Why are my citation counts lower than on Google Scholar?

Our counts are citations from within PubMed. Google Scholar counts citations from across the web, including preprints, theses and books, so its numbers are usually higher. Neither is wrong; they count different things.

Do I need to import my publications from another tool?

No. Tell us your name and affiliations, plus your ORCID iD if you have one, and we find your publications in PubMed ourselves.

What does it cost?

Nothing right now. MyResearchFocus is in public beta, and there is nothing to pay — no credit card and no trial clock. If pricing is introduced after the beta, you will get plenty of notice first.

Preparing a biosketch? How to add your publications to SciENcv

For research groups →One record of every publication and NIH grant across a lab, department or center.Publication reports →Annual reports and reviews without chasing citations or merging spreadsheets.Keeping your publication list current →A CV-ready list of your publications that updates itself.

Free to start

Stay focused on your research.

Set it up once. Your record stays accurate from here — through every grant, citation and review.

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