International Standard Serial Number

An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is a unique eight-digit number used to identify a print or electronic periodical publication. The ISSN system was adopted as international standard ISO 3297 in 1975. The ISO subcommittee TC 46/SC 9 is responsible for the standard. Although International Standard Serial Number identifies periodicals, it does not identify specific volume or articles in each volume. Thus, Serial Item and Contribution Identifier (SICI) was developed as an extension of ISSN. SICI is a recognized international standard used by periodical publishers, bibliographic utilities, and library communities.

Today, numerous periodicals are published both in print and online in various languages. Some journals have similar titles and some have identical titles in different foreign languages. It is nearly impossible to organize, manage, and identify journals and articles without these standardized identification methods. ISSN and SICI are the outcome of international collaboration amongst publishing industries, libraries, and other bibliographic institutions.