International Standard Serial Number International Standard Serial Number An International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) is an eight-digit serial number used to uniquely identify a serial publication. The ISSN is especially helpful in distinguishing between serials with the same title. ISSN are used in ordering, cataloging, interlibrary loans, and other practices in connection with serial literature. The ISSN system was first drafted as an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) international standard in 1971 and published as ISO 3297 in 1975. 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
International Standard Book Number 2007, and 10 digits long if assigned before 2007. An International Standard Book Number consists of 4 parts (if it is a 10-digit ISBN) or 5 parts (for a 13-digit ISBN): A 13-digit ISBN can be separated into its parts ("prefix element", "registration group", "registrant", "publication" and "check digit"), and when this is done it is customary to separate the parts with hyphens or spaces. Separating the parts ("registration group", "registrant", "publication" and "check digit") of a 10-digit ISBN is also done with either hyphens or spaces. Figuring out how to correctly separate a given ISBN is complicated, because most