The document discusses the role of the ISSN network, particularly the Irish ISSN Centre, in identifying and assigning ISSN numbers to open access journals, highlighting efforts to improve data quality and selection criteria. It details the ISSN assignment process, legal deposit obligations, and trends in open access publishing in Ireland. Additionally, it emphasizes the enhancement of the ISSN network and contributions to international standards and metadata production.

1. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Identifying OA Journals:
A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Dr. Gaelle Bequet, Director, ISSN International Centre
Ms Nathalie Cornic, Head of the Metadata and Technical Coordination of the
ISSN Network, ISSN International Centre
Ms Siobhán O'Donovan, Head of ISSN Ireland, National Library of Ireland

2. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Outline
1/ The Irish ISSN Centre @ The National Library of Ireland
2/ Enhancing ROAD through new Selection Criteria and Data
Quality Projects
3/ Activity highlights of the ISSN International Centre and its
Network

3. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
THE IRISH ISSN CENTRE @ THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF IRELAND
SIOBHÁN O'DONOVAN, HEAD OF ISSN IRELAND, NATIONAL LIBRARY
OF IRELAND

4. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
The Irish ISSN Centre
● Based in NLI since 1978
● Periodicals Department
● 1 staff member
● Small Centre with approximately 100 assignments annually
● ISSN+ since June 2022

5. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Steps to assigning ISSN
● Application form downloaded from website
● Form submitted by email issnirl@nli.ie
● Application form checked to make sure it meets criteria
● Checked against ISSN portal
● Create the provisional record on ISSN+
● Issue the ISSN number to publisher by email within 10 days
● NLI developing a new website at the moment which will have an online
application form

6. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Types of publications and statistics
● All types of serial publishers, commercial, government, societies
etc.
● Government bodies and departments are now producing a lot of
online only publications- CSO is our largest customer
50%
50%
2020
56 assigned
Print
Electroni
c
43%
57%
2021
75 assigned
Print
Electronic
27%
73%
2022
33 assigned
Print
Electronic

7. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Legal Deposit in Ireland
● Copyright & Related Rights Act 2000
● NLI one of 8 Copyright Libraries in Ireland
● ISSN work is closely linked to Legal Deposit
● Inform small publishers of their Legal Deposit obligation

8. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network

9. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
E Legal Deposit
● Legislation extending Legal Deposit to digital publications was
enacted in Dec 2019
● No Irish Copyright Library currently claims e legal deposit material
under the new legislation
● ISSN assignment statistics will help in identifying Irish electronic
publications & inform us of the scale of e publishing
● A significant challenge

10. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
OA Publishing in Ireland
● Small scale in Ireland
● 7 in 2020, 6 in 2021, 1 in 2022 (Irish Universities)
● New ROAD criteria implemented in July 2021 very useful guide
● Careful in spotting Predatory Journals & ISSN applications are
refused

11. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Thank You!
Siobhán O'DONOVAN
Head of ISSN Ireland, National Library
of Ireland

12. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Enhancing ROAD through new
Selection Criteria and Data Quality
Projects
Nathalie Cornic
Head of Metadata and Technical
Coordination of the ISSN Network

13. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Outline
• ROAD Statistics: types of resources, main
ISSN national centres involved and
indexation by partner databases
• The new ROAD inclusion criteria
• Two data quality projects on ROAD content

14. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
ROAD Resources by type

15. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
ROAD Resources by type

16. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
ROAD Resources by ISSN National Centre
(2019-2021)

17. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
ROAD Resources indexed by Partner
Databases (as of Dec. 2021)

18. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Evolving ROAD inclusion criteria
DOAJ and Latindex revised
their inclusion criteria a few
years ago
DOAJ indexes 16,600 titles
Scopus 5,600
Web of Science 5,400
PubMedCentral 5,000
Latindex 2,600
ROAD criteria were
defined late 2013
+47,000 scholarly
journals are referenced in
ROAD as of 1 September
2021
Less inclusive criteria necessary to be more
in line with the current selection practices
implemented by our partners.

19. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
The new ROAD inclusion criteria
https://www.issn.org/services/online-services/road-the-directory-of-open-access-scholarly-resources/
https://portal.issn.org/faq10 10.6 section
- Types of resources: Any type of
scholarly resources
- Publishing entity of the resource:
Name of the issuing body or institution
must be stated, with a physical address
and website. Mentioning the ISNI is
recommended.
- Definition of the resource: Aim,
editorial line, thematic coverage, target
audience.
- Peer review: Assessment process
should be detailed.
- Code of ethics and indexing: The
codes of ethics (COPE, OASPA, Think.
Check. Submit., ...) and the indexing
services should be mentioned.
- Instructions to authors: Must be clear
and comprehensive, including copyright
and publication fees. If there are no fees,
this should be clearly stated.
- Accessibility: All content must be open
access, from the beginning of the
publication to the latest issue. A
dedicated URL is needed.
- Locating the resource: The country
that matters is where the publisher or
issuing body is registered and carries out
its academic and publishing activities. A
proof of registration may be required.
- Licence statement: Open licence and
OA policy clearly mentioned.
- Content: Academic or scholarly content
and at least five (5) articles in each issue.
- Editorial responsibility: Names of the
persons holding editorial and scholarly
responsibility, the persons who make up
the editorial bodies.
- Academic affiliation: Clearly
expressed academic affiliation needed,
private or public.

20. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Assessing a sample of ROAD records

21. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Assessing a sample of ROAD records

22. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Partnering to enhance Data Quality

23. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Thank you for your attention!
Nathalie CORNIC
Metadata & Technical Coordination of
the ISSN Network, ISSN International
Centre

24. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Activity Highlights of the ISSN
International Centre and its Network
Gaelle BEQUET
Director, ISSN International Centre

25. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network

26. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Expanding the ISSN Network
Austria, Hauptverband des Österreichischen
Buchhandels: statutes acceded on September 25th
2020, agreement signed November 24th 2020, centre
opened April 1st 2021
Peru, Biblioteca nacional del Perú: statutes acceded
on November 25th 2019, agreement signed May 11th
2021, centre opened August 24th 2021
Ukraine, the State Scientific Institution "Ivan Fedorov
Book Chamber of Ukraine“: statutes acceded July 10th
2019, agreement signed June 30th 2020, centre
opened March 11th 2021

27. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Advancing International Identification
and Description Standards
Sixth edition of ISO 3297 standard made available in
October 2020 - Minor revision was voted in 2021 to
introduce editorial amendments - Final Draft
International Standard, i.e. 7th edition, to be published
in 2022.
January 2021: MARC Advisory Committee endorsed
ISSN Network proposal to include additional types of
continuing resources defined for the control field (tag
008 position 21) - June 2022, MAC endorsed proposal
redefining 856 subfields ($h for broken URLs, and $g
for PIDs, and a new definition of $q Electronic format
type)
Contribution to the ISBD for Manifestation Task Force
which has resulted in a first list of elements for “ISBD
for Manifestation” presented at IFLA WLIC 2021.

28. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Enhancing our Metadata Production Tool

29. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network
Pursuing our 2024 Strategy

30. IFLA WLIC 2022 - Identifying OA Journals: A Core Business of the ISSN Network