Authors often see three abbreviations when they publish: ISBN, ISSN and DOI. They are sometimes used as if they mean the same thing, but each one serves a different purpose. Understanding the difference helps you check whether a publication is properly identified and helps you cite your own work correctly.
ISBN: International Standard Book Number
An ISBN is a unique 13-digit number assigned to a book. It identifies a specific edition and format of that book. For example, the paperback and the eBook editions of the same title will normally have different ISBNs, and a revised second edition gets a new ISBN as well.
Who issues it? ISBNs are issued by a national ISBN agency in each country. In India, ISBNs are allotted through the Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBN, which operates under the Ministry of Education. Publishers apply for ISBNs and assign them to the books they publish.
What it tells you: An ISBN shows that the book has been registered as a publication with an identifiable publisher. It makes the book easier to find in library catalogues, bookshops and online stores.
What it does not tell you: An ISBN is not a mark of quality or peer review. It is an identifier, not an endorsement.
Edited books and chapters: When your chapter appears in an edited volume, the ISBN belongs to the whole book. In your CV, list your chapter title, the book title, the editors, the publisher, the year, the page numbers and the ISBN.
ISSN: International Standard Serial Number
An ISSN is an eight-digit number (written as two groups of four, such as 1234-5678) assigned to a serial publication, meaning something published in a continuing series, like a journal, magazine or annual report.
The ISSN identifies the journal as a whole, not individual articles. A journal that appears both in print and online usually has two ISSNs: a print ISSN (p-ISSN) and an electronic ISSN (e-ISSN).
How to verify: You can check an ISSN in the ISSN Portal maintained by the ISSN International Centre. If a journal displays an ISSN that you cannot find, or that belongs to a different title, be cautious.
DOI: Digital Object Identifier
A DOI is a permanent identifier for a digital object, most often an individual journal article, book chapter or dataset. A DOI looks something like 10.xxxx/abcd.2026.123.
The biggest advantage of a DOI is that it is persistent. Websites change and URLs break, but a DOI is designed to always point to the current location of the item. Typing https://doi.org/ followed by the DOI takes the reader to the article.
Who issues it? DOIs are registered through registration agencies. For scholarly publications, Crossref is the most widely used. Publishers become members, register their articles and pay the associated fees.
Why it matters for authors: DOIs make your work easier to cite and track. Many citation databases and reference managers use DOIs to link and count citations.
Quick comparison
| Identifier | Used for | Identifies |
|---|---|---|
| ISBN | Books | A specific edition/format of a book |
| ISSN | Journals and other serials | The journal as a whole |
| DOI | Articles, chapters, datasets | An individual item, permanently |
A few practical tips
- When you publish a book, keep a copy of the ISBN allotment details from your publisher.
- When you cite a journal article, include the DOI if one exists. Most modern citation styles recommend this.
- Do not treat any of these numbers as proof of quality. Check the journal’s peer review process, editorial board and reputation separately.
- If you are told that your work has an ISBN, ISSN or DOI, check it yourself in the relevant database.
These identifiers are the address system of scholarly publishing. Knowing what each one means helps you present your work properly and helps readers find it for years to come.
— Editorial Team, Imaginative Ink Publications