Online ISSN Checker
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) consists of 8 digits. To check the validity of an ISSN, enter the 8 digits of the ISSN in the box below:
What is ISSN?
The ISSN is an internationally recognized code issued by the ISSN center, which is an international center located in France. ISSNs are assigned by the ISSN Center to magazines, journals, newspapers, yearbooks, and annual reports. Its primary purpose is to uniquely identify serial publications. The ISSN system is defined based on an international standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1971, published as ISO 3297. An important note is that each title has a unique ISSN; no two titles can have the same ISSN. Any change in the title of a journal should be notified to the ISSN center, and the ISSN center will assign a new ISSN to the journal.
Any ISSN consists of 8 digits, the 8th is called a check digit. Note that the check digit can be a digit (0-9) or sometimes non-digital displayed by 'X'. Yes, the check digit sometimes is the letter 'X' and not a number, for example, this valid ISSN: 2090-424X ended by 'X'
The check digit is used to detect if the ISSN is fake or real.
For example, we check if this ISSN is real or fake: 0378-5955. You can use the above Automatic Online ISSN Checker or you can do it manually on paper if you are curious: First, multiply each of the first seven digits of the ISSN by their position number, counting from the right (8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2), and then sum the results:
(0 × 8) + (3 × 7) + (7 × 6) + (8 × 5) + (5 × 4) + (9 × 3) + (5 × 2) = 0 + 21 + 42 + 40 + 20 + 27 + 10 = 160
Now, we need to calculate the remainder of this sum when divided by 11 (always 11 is a fixed number in ISSN verification):
160 / 11 = 14 and the remainder is 6
Since there is a remainder (6), we subtract it from 11:
11 - 6 = 5
So, as seen, the result is 5, and it is equal to the 8th digit of the ISSN 0378-5955, which is 5. It means the ISSN is real.
Example of a Fake ISSN: 0471-3445 We can simply check this ISSN is fake because.
First, multiply each of the first seven digits of the ISSN by their positions, counting from the right (8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2), and then sum the results:
(0 × 8) + (4 × 7) + (7 × 6) + (1 × 5) + (3 × 4) + (4 × 3) + (4 × 2) = 0 + 28 + 42 + 5 + 12 + 12 + 8 = 107
Now, calculate the remainder of this sum when divided by 11:
107 / 11 = 9 with a remainder of 8
Since there is a remainder of 8, subtract it from 11:
11 - 8 = 3
The result is 3, which is not equal to the 8th digit of the ISSN 0471-3445 which is 5. Therefore, based on this calculation, the ISSN 0471-3445 is fake. Real ISSNs should have a result equal to the 8th digit, but in this case, it does not match. Always, before submitting a paper to a journal check its ISSN is real or fake.
You do not need to verify ISSNs manually; instead you can always come back to this page and check any ISSN automatically using the above system. For checking ISBNs, which are used for books, you can use this system: Online ISBN Checker.
Any ISSN consists of 8 digits, the 8th is called a check digit. Note that the check digit can be a digit (0-9) or sometimes non-digital displayed by 'X'. Yes, the check digit sometimes is the letter 'X' and not a number, for example, this valid ISSN: 2090-424X ended by 'X'
The check digit is used to detect if the ISSN is fake or real.
How ISSN is Verified?
An ISSN number cannot be any arbitrary 8-digit number because its 8th digit can determine if the ISSN is fake or real. In fact, ISSN is a self-verifiable number. To check if an ISSN is valid or not, you can perform a specific mathematical calculation on the first 7 digits, and if the result is equal to the 8th digit, it means the ISSN is valid; otherwise, the ISSN is fake.For example, we check if this ISSN is real or fake: 0378-5955. You can use the above Automatic Online ISSN Checker or you can do it manually on paper if you are curious: First, multiply each of the first seven digits of the ISSN by their position number, counting from the right (8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2), and then sum the results:
(0 × 8) + (3 × 7) + (7 × 6) + (8 × 5) + (5 × 4) + (9 × 3) + (5 × 2) = 0 + 21 + 42 + 40 + 20 + 27 + 10 = 160
Now, we need to calculate the remainder of this sum when divided by 11 (always 11 is a fixed number in ISSN verification):
160 / 11 = 14 and the remainder is 6
Since there is a remainder (6), we subtract it from 11:
11 - 6 = 5
So, as seen, the result is 5, and it is equal to the 8th digit of the ISSN 0378-5955, which is 5. It means the ISSN is real.
Example of a Fake ISSN: 0471-3445 We can simply check this ISSN is fake because.
First, multiply each of the first seven digits of the ISSN by their positions, counting from the right (8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2), and then sum the results:
(0 × 8) + (4 × 7) + (7 × 6) + (1 × 5) + (3 × 4) + (4 × 3) + (4 × 2) = 0 + 28 + 42 + 5 + 12 + 12 + 8 = 107
Now, calculate the remainder of this sum when divided by 11:
107 / 11 = 9 with a remainder of 8
Since there is a remainder of 8, subtract it from 11:
11 - 8 = 3
The result is 3, which is not equal to the 8th digit of the ISSN 0471-3445 which is 5. Therefore, based on this calculation, the ISSN 0471-3445 is fake. Real ISSNs should have a result equal to the 8th digit, but in this case, it does not match. Always, before submitting a paper to a journal check its ISSN is real or fake.
You do not need to verify ISSNs manually; instead you can always come back to this page and check any ISSN automatically using the above system. For checking ISBNs, which are used for books, you can use this system: Online ISBN Checker.