TS ISO 3297

TS ISO 3297 is the standard that addresses the International Standard Serial Number, or ISSN, for serials and other continuing resources. Its technical purpose is to support the reliable identification of a publication title or publication family, especially in cataloguing, indexing, access workflows and record management, where different versions of the same continuing source must be distinguished. In general terms, the standard defines and promotes the use of this code; the ISSN itself is an identification tool, not a content-evaluation scheme.

The role of ISSN in bibliographic identification

In general technical use, an ISSN is an eight-digit identifier assigned to serial publications such as journals, newspapers, annuals and other continuing resources. It helps separate publications with similar titles, track title changes and distinguish different media versions of the same resource. Such numbering systems make bibliographic data exchange and automated processing more efficient by providing a stable reference point when a title alone is not enough.

Technical context covered by this document

• It covers the use of a standard code for the unique identification of serials and other continuing resources.
• It concerns the ISSN’s identification function in bibliographic and information-management environments.
• This TSE record is based on ISO 3297:2007 and represents the withdrawn edition; the subject remains the ISSN system.

In short, the standard is less about classifying publication content and more about providing a shared numbering logic for consistently identifying continuing publications. Its value for libraries, databases, publishers and information services lies in the ability to track resources that evolve over time while still remaining uniquely recognizable.