ISSN (International Standard Serial Number), ISSN Network and Japanese National Centre for ISSN

Abstract

Serial publications with ISSN on the front cover, mainly in research journals, have increased in number. The author states some contemporary issues to contribute ISSN’s greater prevalence: Serials’ publishing forms and their effects on bibliographic information, the necessity of number-code for the sake of identification, the establishment and history of the international organization registering ISSN data, the function and trends of former ISDS, Japanese National Centre’s establishment and history, how ISSN numbers are assigned in Japan and issues, JIS X 0306: 1999, the present conditions with respect to assignment service in Japanese National Centre, FAQ on the registration, and reports current issues related to assignment service in this country.