The Difference Between ISSN and DOI for Academic Journals

What is an ISSN?

An ISSN is an 8-digit number assigned to a serial publication — a journal, newspaper, or magazine — by the ISSN International Centre in Paris or one of its national centers. The ISSN identifies the journal as a continuing resource: it does not change issue to issue, and it persists for the lifetime of the publication. A print edition and an online edition of the same journal receive separate ISSNs — the print ISSN and the eISSN (or online ISSN) — because they are technically different publications delivered through different media.

ISSN registration is free in most countries. The ISSN portal at portal.issn.org handles online applications globally, though national ISSN centers in some countries (including several Gulf states) handle registration for journals published within their territory. The time from application to receipt of an ISSN is typically 4–8 weeks, though it requires the journal to have published at least one issue or to have a confirmed publication date and sample content.

What is a DOI?

A DOI is a permanent, globally unique identifier assigned to a specific piece of content — in academic publishing, typically an individual article. A DOI looks like 10.XXXXX/yyyyyyy and resolves to the article's permanent URL when prefixed with https://doi.org/. Because DOIs are permanent, they remain valid even if the journal moves to a new domain, changes its hosting provider, or reorganizes its website — the DOI always resolves to the correct article.

DOIs are issued by registration agencies that operate under the International DOI Foundation (IDF). Journals that register DOIs pay a membership fee and a per-article registration fee to the relevant agency. The technical setup — connecting the journal's publishing platform (typically OJS) to the registration agency's API — must be configured correctly for DOI registration to work automatically when articles are published.

What is the key difference between ISSN and DOI?

Who issues ISSN and DOI?

ISSNs are issued exclusively by the ISSN International Centre (CIEPS), headquartered in Paris, France, or by one of its national member centers. No private company can legally issue an ISSN — any service claiming to "sell" an ISSN is providing access to the registration process, not the identifier itself, which is free from the Centre.

DOIs are issued through registration agencies accredited by the International DOI Foundation. The registration agencies most relevant to academic journal publishing serve regions across North America, Europe, and the Gulf. Registration requires a formal application and agreement to the agency's terms of service, which include maintaining accurate metadata for every registered DOI. The journal's OJS installation must then be configured to communicate with the agency's API to register DOIs automatically when articles are published.

How long does each take to obtain?

ISSN applications are processed by a human reviewer at the ISSN Centre or national center, so processing time depends on the volume of pending applications. Applications submitted before the journal's first issue (with a sample or declared launch date) typically process faster than retrospective applications submitted after publication begins.

DOI account setup (registering the journal as a publisher with the registration agency) typically takes 1–3 weeks. Once the account is active and OJS is configured, DOIs are registered instantly and automatically each time an article is published — no manual step required.

Which do you need first?

The ISSN comes first. Most DOI registration agencies require a valid ISSN before they will approve a journal's membership application — they need to verify that the journal is a recognized serial publication before assigning it a DOI prefix. DOAJ also requires an ISSN as part of its application. Apply for the ISSN as early as possible, ideally before the journal's first issue is published.

DOI registration can begin as soon as the ISSN is confirmed and the DOI account is set up — which means articles in the first issue can receive DOIs if the timing is managed correctly. A journal that delays its DOI setup until after the first issue is published will have articles already online without permanent identifiers, requiring retroactive registration — a slower, more error-prone process.

Which databases require ISSN, which require DOI?

DOAJ requires an ISSN and strongly recommends DOI registration as a best-practice criterion (it is required for the DOAJ Seal). Google Scholar indexes journals without DOIs, though DOIs significantly improve article-level discoverability. Scopus and Web of Science both require DOIs for article-level indexing — a journal without DOIs cannot have its individual articles indexed in Scopus, even if the journal itself is accepted for coverage.