ISSN

Not to be confused with ISBN.
For the use of ISSNs on Wikipedia, see Wikipedia:ISSN.
International Standard Serial Number
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AcronymISSN
OrganisationISSN International Centre
Introduced1976; 48 years ago (1976)
No. issued> 2,500,000
No. of digits8
Check digitWeighted sum
Example2049-3630
Websitewww.issn.org
ISSN for Vers Domain, encoded in an EAN-13 barcode with sequence variant 0 and issue number 05
Example of an ISSN, 2049-3630, encoded in an EAN-13 bar code, with explanation
ISSN expanded with sequence variant 0 to a GTIN-13 and encoded in an EAN-13 barcode with an EAN-2 add-on designating issue number 13

An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication (periodical), such as a magazine.[1] The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSNs are used in ordering, cataloging, interlibrary loans, and other practices in connection with serial literature.[2]

The ISSN system was first drafted as an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) international standard in 1971 and published as ISO 3297 in 1975.[3] ISO subcommittee TC 46/SC 9 is responsible for maintaining the standard.

When a serial with the same content is published in more than one media type, a different ISSN is assigned to each media type. For example, many serials are published both in print and electronic media. The ISSN system refers to these types as print ISSN (p-ISSN) and electronic ISSN (e-ISSN).[4] Consequently, as defined in ISO 3297:2007, every serial in the ISSN system is also assigned a linking ISSN (ISSN-L), typically the same as the ISSN assigned to the serial in its first published medium, which links together all ISSNs assigned to the serial in every medium.[5]

  1. ^ "What is an ISSN?". Paris: ISSN International Centre. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  2. ^ "Collection Metadata Standards". British Library. Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  3. ^ "ISSN, a Standardised Code". Paris: ISSN International Centre. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
  4. ^ ISSN InterNational Centre. "The ISSN for electronic media". ISSN. Archived from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
  5. ^ "3". ISSN Manual (PDF). Paris: ISSN International Centre. January 2015. pp. 14, 16, 55–58. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 July 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2018. HTML version available at www.issn.org Archived 18 October 2018 at the Wayback Machine