Persistent Identifiers (PIDs)
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      A Guide to Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs)

      Understand RRIDs and use them to identify and track resources employed in scientific research.

      What Are RRIDs?

      Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs) are persistent identifiers for resources used in the scientific research process. Currently, this identification schema covers plasmids, cells, organisms, biosamples, antibodies, and tools and resources. Identifiers have the prefix RRID:, followed by a second tag that indicates the source authority that provided the resource (e.g., AB for the Antibody Registry, MGI for Mouse Genome Informatics, SCR for the SciCrunch Registry). For example:

      Why Are RRIDs Important?

      In scientific papers, researchers often use abbreviations for resources or refer to them inconsistently. For instance, a paper using the software BD CellQuest Pro might alternately use the name “CellQuest” or “Cell Quest Pro” or “CellQuest (BD Biosciences).” RRIDs provide a definitive name for the tool and an ID that can be associated with it. This helps enhance the reproducibility of research by ensuring that there is no ambiguity about the resources used in a paper. 

      RRIDs also make it much easier to search across the literature and find studies using a specific cell line, organism, or tool. For example, a student could use an RRID to review the methods sections of other papers using the same RNA sequencing system to see how other labs are using the same tool.

      How Can I Use RRIDs?

      When you are writing your research paper, you can use the RRID portal to look up the RRID for a specific resource. As an example, let’s look up the commonly used flow cytometry software FlowJo.

      From the RRID Portal homepage, select the “Find Tools and Resources” option.


      Next, search “FlowJo” in the search bar and select the appropriate entry from the results.


      Click on the FlowJo entry to see the full record.


      In the record, you can see more information about this resource, including a description and link for more information. If you click “How to Cite,” a box pops up that gives the correct name and RRID to paste into your paper. On the bottom left, you can view other publications that use this resource.

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      Persistent Identifiers (PIDs): An Overview

      Sources

      Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP) – NIH. “Research Resource Identifiers (RRIDs),” September 13, 2023. https://orip.nih.gov/resource-directory/research-resource-identifiers-rrids.


      SciCrunch. “RRID Portal.” Accessed December 26, 2023. https://scicrunch.org/resources.