# ISSN

Key: `identity.commerce.issn`

International Standard Serial Number. 8-digit identifier for periodicals (magazines, journals, newspapers). Format: XXXX-XXXX. Last digit is check character.

Page: <https://meridian.online/docs/projects/finetype/types/identity/commerce/issn>

Samples: `0028-0836`, `2434-561X`, `0003-7516`

## Background

### Origin

An ISSN is an 8-digit code used to identify newspapers, journals, magazines and periodicals of all kinds.[[1]](https://www.issn.org/understanding-the-issn/what-is-an-issn/) The ISSN system was first drafted as an ISO international standard in 1971.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) It was published as ISO 3297 in 1975.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) ISO subcommittee TC 46/SC 9 is responsible for maintaining the standard.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN)

ISSNs are assigned by a network of ISSN National Centres, usually located at national libraries.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) The network is coordinated by the ISSN International Centre, based in Paris.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) The ISSN International Centre and its Network were formally established in 1975 under an agreement between UNESCO and France.[[3]](https://www.issn.org/press-release-issn-40-years-of-identification-for-serial-publications/) The ISSN International Centre's press release marking 40 years of the ISSN said its Register contained more than 1.8 million ISSN bibliographic records.[[3]](https://www.issn.org/press-release-issn-40-years-of-identification-for-serial-publications/)

The ISSN is written as the acronym ISSN followed by two groups of four digits, separated by a hyphen.[[1]](https://www.issn.org/understanding-the-issn/what-is-an-issn/) The eighth digit is a check digit calculated with a modulus 11 algorithm.[[1]](https://www.issn.org/understanding-the-issn/what-is-an-issn/) Each of the first seven digits is multiplied by a weight of 8 down to 2, and the products are added.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) If the sum leaves no remainder modulo 11 the check digit is 0, and otherwise the remainder is subtracted from 11.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) When that result is 10, the check digit is an uppercase X.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN)

### Use

When a serial with the same content is published in more than one medium, a different ISSN is assigned to each medium.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) For example, Nature has a print ISSN, 0028-0836, and a separate ISSN for the web version, 1476-4687.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) A linking ISSN, the ISSN-L, groups the different media of the same serial publication.[[4]](https://www.issn.org/understanding-the-issn/assignment-rules/the-issn-l-for-publications-on-multiple-media/) ISSN-L was defined in the ISSN standard ISO 3297:2007.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN)

Crossref's REST API documentation writes an ISSN without its hyphen in its example request for the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, ISSN 03064530.[[5]](https://www.crossref.org/documentation/retrieve-metadata/rest-api/) ISSNs can be encoded in EAN-13 barcodes with a 977 prefix, followed by the seven main digits of the ISSN without its check digit.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) The EAN check digit at the end of such a barcode is calculated differently and in most cases does not match the ISSN check digit.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) An ISSN can be written as a URN by prefixing it with urn:ISSN:.[[2]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) Expect ISSNs with and without the hyphen, with an ISSN prefix, or embedded in a 13-digit barcode, and normalise them to the hyphenated eight-character form before comparing. (Meridian's view)

### Where you'll meet it

Crossref's REST API identifies journals by ISSN, with a /journals/{issn} endpoint returning the details of the journal with the given ISSN.[[5]](https://www.crossref.org/documentation/retrieve-metadata/rest-api/) The Directory of Open Access Journals' public journal CSV carries columns named Journal ISSN (print version) and Journal EISSN (online version), with values such as 2596-092X.[[6]](https://doaj.org/csv)

## Sources

1. [What is an ISSN? \| ISSN](https://www.issn.org/understanding-the-issn/what-is-an-issn/) — documentation
2. [ISSN - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISSN) — secondary source
3. [Press Release: ISSN: 40 years of identification for serial publications \| ISSN](https://www.issn.org/press-release-issn-40-years-of-identification-for-serial-publications/) — documentation
4. [The ISSN-L for publications on multiple media](https://www.issn.org/understanding-the-issn/assignment-rules/the-issn-l-for-publications-on-multiple-media/) — documentation
5. [REST API - Crossref](https://www.crossref.org/documentation/retrieve-metadata/rest-api/) — organisation
6. [doaj\_journalcsv\_20260917\_2320\_utf8.csv](https://doaj.org/csv) — dataset