International Standard Serial Numbers

Firstly, what is an ISSN? It is an internationally accepted code which identifies a serial title. It consists of eight digits the last of which is a check digit which is used to ensue whether the number is correctly cited. The check digit may be an X, otherwise the ISSN is fully numeric. It should be printed thus: ISSN 0000-0000. The form of presentation has no particular significance but it is intended to make the ISSN easier to read and to recognise internationally. Unlike the ISBN, the ISSN does not contain a number specific to the publisher; it is purely arbitrary. A number is taken from a computer produced block of ISSN and simply assigned to a title.