Wikipedia:ISSN
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The ISSN or International Standard Serial Number identifies a serial publication, such as a newspaper, magazine, or academic journal, or blog; it is the periodical counterpart of the ISBN for a book. It does not identify a particular issue or a particular article in an issue. DOIs identify particular articles (but are mostly only available for academic journal articles). On Wikipedia, an ISSN is an optional part of a citation to a particular article (adding it never hurts, but it is not strictly necessary when a direct URL or DOI is provided to the full text of the article).
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An ISSN is particularly helpful in the following circumstances (especially when the ISSN is linked, using template or parameter detailed below):
- In a citation to a periodical that is relatively unknown, as the ISSN can help in verifying the existence and reliability of the journal and procuring a copy of one of its issues to verify the content.
- In relevant non-citation contexts on Wikipedia, such as in the lead section or infobox of an article about a publication itself.
Automatic linking of ISSNs
The {{ISSN}} template can be used to insert and format an ISSN in an article. If a standardized citation template is being used, the |issn= parameter serves the same function, linking the ISSN to the WorldCat database, which provides publication details and aids in locating physical copies of publications.