International Identifier for serials
and other continuing resources, in the electronic and print world

ISSNUnderstanding the ISSNISSN usesPractical uses of the ISSN

Practical uses of the ISSN

 Print

 Download

 Share

 Send to a friend

Beyond its role of identifying titles, the ISSN is an essential daily tool for all serial publication professionals.

  • Electronic archiving
  • Cataloguing
  • Distribution, subscriptions and management

Electronic archiving

The ISSN International Portal is the worldwide catalogue for serial publications. Serial publications are registered in it exhaustively.

Consequently, the ISSN is a bibliographical tool: students, researchers, writers of summaries and librarians can use it to give the precise references of a serial publication.

Cataloguing

Used as a standardised identification digital code, the ISSN is used in IT applications to:
– update files,
– establish links between different files, and
– search for and exchange data.

Distribution, subscriptions and management

Libraries use the ISSN to:
– identify titles,
– order and verify serial publications, and
– claim missing issues.

The ISSN simplifies lending operations between libraries, as well as controls and verifications on union catalogues.

The ISSN must be used precisely to ensure OpenURL-based links are resolved correctly.

The ISSN is a practical and cost-effective communication tool between publishers and suppliers.

It helps commercial distribution systems to be fast and efficient.