What is an ISSN, and how does a Itanagar publisher get one?
- StandardISO 3297
- Assigned byISSN Centre, New Delhi
- Official feeNil
- Timeline30+ working days
An ISSN identifies a serial title. It is printed as two groups of four digits, and the eighth character is a check digit calculated on modulus 11, which is why an ISSN can end in the letter X. The number says nothing about the subject, the publisher or the quality of the publication. It exists so a library, an indexer or a subscription agent can name one title unambiguously among many that look alike.
India runs one centre for the whole country. The ISSN National Centre, India sits inside the National Science Library at CSIR-NIScPR, 14 Satsang Vihar Marg, New Delhi 110067, and it is centre code 20 in a network of 93 national centres coordinated by the ISSN International Centre in Paris, an intergovernmental body created in 1975 by treaty between UNESCO and the French Government. There is no ISSN office in Itanagar and none in Arunachal Pradesh, and none is needed: the form is filed online and the signed copy travels by post.
In short, the ISSN is free and the process is not commercial, which is exactly why publishers in Itanagar underestimate it. The centre asks for a real first issue, five or more identifiable editorial board members, a Itanagar publisher address that can be verified, and a title that does not collide with something already in the register. This page covers eligibility, the print and online rules, the documents, the filing sequence and what happens after assignment. For the national picture, see ISSN registration in India.
ISO 3297 One title, one number per medium
The ISSN attaches to the title in a given medium, not to the publisher and not to an individual article. Change the medium or the title and you need a new number; move the office within Arunachal Pradesh and you do not.
- Print and online editions carry separate numbers
- The ISSN-L links every medium version of one resource
- A DOI identifies an article; an ISSN identifies the title
Framework
Standard: ISO 3297, current edition ISO 3297:2022 | Assigning body:ISSN National Centre, India, National Science Library, CSIR-NIScPR, New Delhi | Covers: every serial published from Itanagar and the rest of India | Register: ISSN Portal at portal.issn.org | Charge for the number: Nil | Not applicable to: books, which take an ISBN
Which publications from Itanagar can get an ISSN?
The test is whether the resource continues. A publication issued in succession over an indefinite period is a continuing resource; a finished work is not.
| Publication from Itanagar | Eligible for an ISSN? | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Academic or scholarly journal | Yes | A serial, the core category under ISO 3297 |
| University or college research journal | Yes | Must be linked from the institution website |
| Magazine, in print or online | Yes | A continuing resource issued at regular intervals |
| Newspaper | Yes | A serial; PRGI title registration applies separately |
| Regional language serial from Arunachal Pradesh | Yes | Language is recorded, and any language is eligible |
| Newsletter, bulletin or house journal | Yes | Issued in succession with a stable title |
| Monographic series | Yes, for the series | The series takes an ISSN, each volume takes an ISBN |
| Directory, yearbook or annual report | Yes | A continuing resource with an annual frequency |
| Book or single-volume work | No | Expressly outside the ISSN; the identifier is the ISBN |
| Single research report or thesis | No | A finished work, not a continuing resource |
Two boundaries settle most questions. The first is the book boundary. The centre states that books are not eligible and points applicants to the Indian ISBN Agency instead. The confusion usually arises with a monographic series, where both identifiers apply at different levels: the series carries one ISSN for its whole run, and every volume inside it carries its own ISBN.
The second is the news boundary, and it runs the other way. An ISSN is not a permission to publish. A publication from Itanagar carrying public news or comments on public news needs statutory registration with the Press Registrar General of India under the Press and Registration of Periodicals Act, 2023, filed with the Press Registrar General and the specified authority for Itanagar, whether or not it has an ISSN. The same Act expressly leaves out a journal of a scientific, technical or academic nature, which is why an academic journal from Arunachal Pradesh can obtain a print ISSN without holding a PRGI certificate.
An ISSN is not an approval
The centre states that assigning an ISSN does not constitute approval of the journal by the National Science Library or CSIR-NIScPR. It is a neutral identifier: no quality assessment, no indexing status, no regulatory recognition. Publications advertising an ISSN as government approval, and services selling one as though it were a licence, are both misdescribing it.
Do I need a separate ISSN for print and online?
Yes, and the rules for the two are not symmetrical. A print title can be assigned a number before publication; an online title cannot.
| Parameter | Print serial (p-ISSN) | Online serial (e-ISSN) |
|---|---|---|
| Separate ISSN required | Yes | Yes |
| Assignment before the first issue | Yes, up to 1 month ahead with a mock-up | No, never assigned ahead of publication |
| Minimum articles in the first issue | 5 to 6 original articles, or 10 if annual | 5 articles, or 10 if annual |
| Entry in the ISSN Register | On proof of publication reaching the centre | On assignment after the issue is out |
| Primary enclosure | Cover, title page, editorial page, articles | The live URL of the publication |
| Subscription content | Post the physical issue | Provide a temporary user ID and password |
| Where the number is displayed | Upper right of the cover, or editorial page | Home page or another prominently visible page |
| Article-level linking required | No | Yes |
The asymmetry has a reason. The centre says online publications caused recurrent and significant problems, so it stopped assigning numbers to them in advance. An online title from Itanagar is assessed on what is actually live: whether the first issue holds enough real articles, whether each article has its own link rather than sitting inside one PDF of the whole issue, and whether the site names its publisher with a full Itanagar address.
For a print title the concession is narrow. A request may be made no more than one month before the first issue is released, and it must carry an advanced mock-up along with everything else. Even then the number stays provisional: it is not formally registered until proof of publication reaches the centre, and the centre reserves the right to defer assignment until it receives a copy of the first issue.
What does the ISSN National Centre check?
The guidelines read like a checklist because they are one. These are the conditions on which applications from Itanagar are actually decided.
| Requirement | The standard applied | Why it is checked |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial board size | Minimum 5 members for a journal | A board below five reads as a title without an editorial process |
| Board contact details | Designation, department, full official postal and institutional email address | Personal mail accounts cannot be verified against an institution |
| Board seniority | Senior faculty on a scholarly journal | Students and research fellows as editorial members are to be avoided |
| International claims | Board international in scope with members from reputed institutions abroad | A journal calling itself international is held to that claim |
| Publisher identification | Name and complete Arunachal Pradesh postal address on the publication or website | The place of publication is a stated ground for refusal if misleading |
| Journal URL | A valid, working URL with a precise subject or defined audience | The centre assesses what is actually live |
| Institutional link | Journals of a Arunachal Pradesh institution linked from the institution website | Confirms the journal is what it says it is |
| Article access | Each article separately hyperlinked, not one PDF per issue | Item-level access is how a serial is verified online |
| Originality | No plagiarism, no articles reproduced from other publications or proceedings | Both are express grounds to decline an assignment |
| Accuracy of claims | No misleading statements on indexing, databases, preservation or authorship | Misrepresentation is a ground to decline and later to revoke |
Practitioner insight (IncorpX publishing team)
Across the ISSN files we have handled, three preparation gaps account for most of the delay: an editorial board listed with personal mail addresses instead of institutional ones, a first issue built partly from papers already published in conference proceedings, and a journal site that publishes each issue as a single PDF with no article-level links. All three are fixable in a fortnight before filing, and all three are expensive to fix after a refusal.
Documents required from a Itanagar publisher
The enclosure list is short. What makes it fail is the quality of the first issue attached to it, and an address that does not match across the three places it appears.
| Document | Applies to | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher address proof, self-attested | Both formats | Aadhaar, Voter ID, driving licence or passport, showing the Itanagar address |
| Signed print copy of the web application form | Both formats | Posted to CSIR-NIScPR, New Delhi with the enclosures |
| Cover and title page of the first issue | Or the complete issue where available | |
| Editorial page of the first issue | Must show the affiliation of the editors | |
| 5 to 6 original articles | 10 articles where the publication is annual | |
| Live URL of the publication | Online | Article-level links, not a single issue PDF |
| Temporary user ID and password | Online, subscription based | So the centre can see the content behind the paywall |
| Advanced mock-up | Print, pre-publication requests only | Permitted no more than one month before release |
| Editorial board list | Both formats | Designation, department, address and institutional email for each member |
Note what is not on the list. There is no fee receipt, because there is no fee. There is no entity registration certificate, no GST number and no trade licence: the centre identifies the publisher through an address proof and through the imprint on the publication itself. That is also why a mismatch between the address on the proof, the address printed in Itanagar on the issue, and the address in the form is such a reliable way to lose a cycle.
How to apply for an ISSN from Itanagar
Ten steps, of which the first five decide the outcome. The centre commits to a minimum of 30 working days once a complete file reaches New Delhi.
Confirm the publication is a serial
Establish that the resource continues, meaning a serial, journal, newspaper, magazine, newsletter or monographic series issued over an indefinite period. A single volume is a book and takes an ISBN.
Screen the title for duplication
Search the Indian ISSN database and the international ISSN Portal for the title and near matches. The centre asks applicants to consult both, and duplication is the cheapest failure to avoid.
Build a compliant editorial board
Record at least five members with designation, department, full institutional postal address and an institutional email. Add members from reputed institutions abroad where the journal is presented as international.
Fix the imprint and the website
Publish the publisher name and the complete Itanagar postal address, state a precise subject scope, link the journal from the parent institution site, and hyperlink each article separately.
Release a complete first issue
Bring out at least 5 original articles for a non-annual publication, or 10 for an annual one. Reproduced articles, including from conference proceedings, are a stated ground for refusal.
Fill the online application form
Complete the web form on the National Science Library site with title, language, periodicity, format, publisher and editorial particulars. File separately for the print and online formats.
Post the signed print copy with enclosures
Send the signed form with the self-attested publisher address proof and the format-specific enclosures to the National Science Library, Indian National Centre for ISSN, CSIR-NIScPR, New Delhi 110067.
Track the assignment
Allow a minimum of 30 working days and answer any query at once. Incomplete or inaccurate forms are rejected summarily, and a rejected applicant has to file afresh with all documents.
Display the number correctly
Print it in the upper right corner of the cover or on the editorial page, or show it on the home page online, labelled to the correct format. Never carry the print number on the online edition.
Send the validation copy and close the file
Send the centre a copy of the issue carrying the assigned number, since failing to do so blocks the publisher future assignments, and order the optional registration certificate if the paperwork requires it.
Not sure the journal is ready to file?
A 20-minute review of the title, the board and the site tells you whether the application will clear in one cycle or three. Free, with no obligation.
What happens after the ISSN is assigned?
The obligations are light, and ignoring them is how publishers lose the number or block their next title.
Display it in the right place
Upper right corner of a print cover, or the editorial page. Home page or a prominently visible page online. Label the format so p-ISSN and e-ISSN are not confused.
Send the validation copy
A copy of the issue carrying the number goes to the centre. Where it is not sent, ISSN assignment to that publisher new journals is denied.
Report what changes
Publisher, place of publication, frequency and editorial policy all change without a new ISSN, but the centre must be told. A move within Arunachal Pradesh counts.
Apply afresh for a new title or medium
Only two events need a new number: the title changes, or the medium changes. Continuing under a new masthead with the old number risks revocation.
Carry the old title forward
A journal that changes title must state the old title, its ISSN and the issues published under it in the new journal or on the website.
Order a certificate only if asked for one
Check the record on the ISSN Portal first, then pay ₹1,500 plus 18% GST to the Director, NIScPR. Most publishers never need the printed certificate.
An ISSN can be revoked
The centre reserves the right to revoke an assigned ISSN where it later comes to light that misleading information was provided, and to decline one where plagiarism or reproduced articles are detected. Changing an ISSN-assigned title without informing the centre is stated to result in the ISSN being revoked. Treat the number as conditional on the representations you made to get it.
ISSN vs ISBN vs PRGI vs DOI
Four identifiers that publishers in Itanagar routinely confuse, and the one question each of them answers.
| Parameter | ISSN | ISBN | PRGI title registration | DOI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identifies | A serial title in one medium | A single book edition | A periodical title in the Indian press register | One item, usually an article |
| Issued by | ISSN National Centre, CSIR-NIScPR | Indian ISBN Agency, Ministry of Education | Press Registrar General of India | A DOI registration agency |
| Local office involved in Arunachal Pradesh | No | No | Yes, the district specified authority | No |
| Legally required | No | No | Yes, for a publication carrying public news | No |
| Official charge | Nil | Nil for the ISBN itself | ₹1,000 processing fee | Paid to the registration agency |
| Applies to a book | No | Yes | No | Per chapter, optionally |
| Applies to an academic journal | Yes | No | No, expressly excluded | Per article |
| Typical timeline | 30+ working days | 15 to 30 days | 60 to 90 days | Same day |
Most publishers need two of the four. An academic journal from Itanagar needs an ISSN per medium, and a DOI per article if it wants its citations tracked. A news magazine needs an ISSN and a PRGI title registration routed through the Arunachal Pradesh specified authority, because the second is a legal condition of publishing news and the first is what libraries and agents use. A publisher bringing out a book series needs an ISSN for the series and an ISBN for every volume.
ISSN terms, defined
The vocabulary that appears on the application form and in the guidelines.
- ISSN
- The International Standard Serial Number: eight digits in two groups of four, the last being a modulus 11 check digit that can be the letter X. Defined by ISO 3297 and assigned to the title of a serial in one medium.
- Continuing resource
- A publication issued in succession over an indefinite period. Serials, journals, newspapers, magazines, newsletters, directories, yearbooks and monographic series all qualify. A single completed work does not.
- p-ISSN and e-ISSN
- The print number and the electronic number of the same title. Each medium takes its own ISSN, and using the number assigned to one format on another format is not allowed.
- ISSN-L
- The linking ISSN. A single identifier grouping every medium version of one continuing resource so catalogues and citation databases can bring the print and online records together.
- ISSN Register
- The authoritative record of assigned ISSNs, maintained by the ISSN International Centre and searchable at portal.issn.org. It holds about 2.8 million records.
- Validation copy
- The copy of the issue carrying the assigned number, sent to the centre after assignment. Where it is not submitted, ISSN assignment to the publisher new journals is denied.
- ISSN Registration Certificate
- An optional printed certificate, issued only after the record is confirmed on the international ISSN Portal, for ₹1,500 plus 18% GST, payable to the Director, NIScPR.
FAQs about ISSN registration in Itanagar
38 questions sourced from real search queries, the ISSN National Centre guidelines, the ISO 3297 standard and our experience assisting 400+ publishing registrations.
- Self-attested address proof of the publisher: Aadhaar, Voter ID, driving licence or passport, showing the Itanagar address.
- For a print serial: the complete issue, or the cover, title page, editorial page and 5 to 6 original articles, with the editorial page showing the editors' affiliations.
- For an online serial: the live URL, plus a temporary user ID and password where the journal is subscription based.
- The signed print copy of the web application form, posted with the enclosures.
Get an ISSN for your Itanagar journal
Talk to an IncorpX publishing compliance expert for a free consultation on eligibility, the title, the editorial board and the filing. ₹2,999 professional fee; the ISSN itself costs nothing.
Nebin Binoy 
