ISSN-ISBN: The Basics

Mira K DesaiAssociate Professor

University Department of Extension Education

Similarities

• They indicate serial numbers. • They are used for identification and

standardization purposes.• They have global currency.• They refer to print publications of different

nature- now electronic included.• They are useful in Electronic archiving,

cataloguing and distribution, subscriptions and management of titles.

Differences

ISSN• International Standard

Serial Number • 8-digits• 1976• France and UNESCO• Free• Continuing resource- Serial

publication- Ongoing Integrating resource

• http://www.issn.org/

ISBN• International Standard

Book Number• 10-digits now 13-digits• 1970• US• Depending upon national

office may be charged• Books• http://rrrlf.nic.in/isbn.asp

Differences

ISSN• International office or

country office• Journals, newspapers, or

other types of serials annual publications (reports, directories, lists, etc.), journals, magazines, collections, websites, databases, blogs, etc.

• All continuing resources, irrespective of their medium (print or electronic)

ISBN• ISBN registration agency• Text-based monographic

publications (i.e. one-off publications

• Different product form (e.g. paperback, EPUB, .pdf) should be identified separately.

• Unlike the ISBN, which contains country and publisher prefixes, the ISSN contains no inherent meaning.

• Has many bar codes as indicator of nature of publication.

Process of Application?

ISSN• Publishers should complete

an application form and send it to the Centre (http://nsl.niscair.res.in/issn.jsp) together with a representation of the serial (either a sample issue, or print ready copy, publisher information, and any other pages giving information about the serial.

ISBN• The publisher of the book

should apply for the ISBN which may be group, organisation, company or individual who is responsible for initiating the production of a publication.

• Has to apply to national ISBN agency.

AgenciesISSN

ISBN

International ISBN Agency

https://www.isbn-international.org/

http://www.issn.org/

Indian National Centre for ISSNCountry code: IND

Centre code: 20

Indian National Centre for ISSN NISCAIR14, Satsang Vihar MargSpecial Institutional AreaNew Delhi-110067 New Delhi Tel: +91-11.2651 6672 / 2653 4535 Website: http://nsl.niscair.res.in/issn.jsp

Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBNWest Block-I, Wing-6, 2nd Floor,Sector -I, R.K. Puram,New Delhi-110066Phone: +91-11-26172903/26172916

National Agency for ISBN

Why you need ISSN?• Bibliographical tool: students, researchers, writers of summaries

and librarians can use it to give the precise references.• Standardised identification digital code, used in IT applications to:

- update files,- establish links between different files, and- search for and exchange data.

• Libraries use the ISSN to: identify titles, order and verify serial publications, and claim missing issues. It also simplifies lending operations between libraries, as well as controls and verifications on union catalogues.

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

• It helps commercial distribution systems to be fast and efficient.

Why you need ISBN?

• International Standard Numbering System for Books, Software, Mixed Media etc. in Publishing, Distribution, and Library Practices

• While an ISBN is not required to publish a book, it is needed if one wants to sell it through standard book distribution channel.

Examples

ISSN

ISBN

Can a Publication has both numbers?

• This situation occurs most commonly with books in a series and with annuals or biennials. The ISBN identifies the individual book in a series or a specific year for an annual or biennial. The ISSN identifies the ongoing series, or the ongoing annual or biennial serial.