Expanding networks, strengthening data, transforming services
ISSN International Centre is now a pivotal player in the organisation and dissemination of information, writes Gaëlle Béquet
The year 2025 was a pivotal moment for the ISSN International Centre (CIEPS), combining symbolic celebrations with tangible progress.
While commemorating its fiftieth anniversary, the organisation accelerated its strategic transformation under the 2025–2029 Action Plan. This dual focus on heritage and innovation defines the Centre’s current trajectory.
Meanwhile, the ISSN network continued to grow, reaching 96 member countries by early 2026, with new national centres opening and others in development. This steady growth reflects the global relevance of the ISSN system and its ability to adapt to diverse publishing environments. However, it also reinforces the need for stronger coordination, harmonised practices, and shared tools across the network.
Against this backdrop, the International Centre’s activities are structured around three major strategic axes: strengthening and facilitating the network, enhancing data quality, and modernising tools and services. Together, these priorities form the basis of the Centre’s vision for 2029.
Strengthening a global network: expansion, cohesion and facilitation
The ISSN system is a decentralised network by design. Its strength lies in the collaboration between the International Centre and the national centres that operate in a variety of different institutional and geographical contexts. In 2025, the network was further consolidated through expansion and reinforced coordination mechanisms.
The network now includes 96 member countries, demonstrating its global reach. The establishment of new centres, such as the one in the United Arab Emirates in 2025, and the planned opening of centres in countries such as Mongolia, demonstrate the continued attractiveness of the ISSN system. At the same time, discussions with additional countries suggest that expansion will remain a key objective in the years ahead.
Beyond numerical growth, the emphasis in 2025 was clearly on cohesion. The International Centre has launched numerous initiatives to strengthen collaboration and ensure consistency across the network. Training sessions, workshops, and regular expert exchanges have helped national centres adopt shared practices. The revision and translation of the ISSN Manual into several languages has also contributed to this harmonisation effort.
The creation of the Network Facilitator role indicates a more organised approach to communication and coordination. The role is designed to support national centres, facilitate dialogue, and ensure the effective implementation of strategic priorities, particularly those related to data quality, across the network.
The activity of national centres in 2025 highlights the system’s scale and diversity. While countries with large publishing sectors processed thousands of ISSN assignments, smaller countries maintained steady levels of activity, demonstrating the inclusiveness and global reach of the ISSN network. Meanwhile, national centres continued to engage in digitisation projects, retrospective ISSN assignments, and activities to raise awareness among publishers and information professionals.
In this context, the network is not merely an operational structure, but a strategic asset. Its collective capacity to produce, enrich and validate data is central to the added value of the ISSN system.
Data quality as a strategic imperative
One clear priority emerges from the 2025 activity report: the central role of data quality. The ISSN Register, which now contains over 2.4 million confirmed records, is the International Centre’s core product and primary responsibility. Ensuring its reliability is essential for maintaining trust among users and partners.
Significant progress has been made in this area. Large-scale correction campaigns, improved workflows and enhanced monitoring tools have substantially reduced errors. The overall error rate in the ISSN database fell to 1.39% in 2025, which is below the maximum threshold of 2% set for 2029. This improvement reflects a significant collective effort across the network: the number of errors has been reduced by 97% since 2022, and the proportion of affected records has been cut by more than half. These improvements are the result of sustained, coordinated efforts rather than isolated interventions.
Data quality is now understood comprehensively. It encompasses the accuracy, completeness, consistency and interoperability of bibliographic records. Integrating identifiers such as ISNI, correcting broken URLs, and aligning metadata with partner databases all contribute to this broader vision.
The work carried out in 2025 also emphasises the importance of collaboration for improving quality. National centres play a vital part in identifying errors, updating records, and ensuring the accuracy of metadata from the outset. Tools such as shared dashboards and correction tables facilitate coordinated action across the network, and partnerships with external organisations help to detect inconsistencies and improve coverage.
However, challenges remain. Backlogs in processing requests and the need for manual correction of certain complex records illustrate the current capacity limitations. However, the Action Plan explicitly addresses these challenges, aiming to streamline workflows and reduce discrepancies between data production and validation.
Ultimately, data quality is not just a technical issue. It is also a strategic lever that supports all the International Centre’s activities, from service development to international partnerships. It is also a key factor in reinforcing the position of the ISSN Register as a global reference database for serial publications.
Modernising tools and services: towards a new digital ecosystem
The third major area of development focuses on modernising tools and services. In 2025, the International Centre made significant strides in its digital transformation by developing new systems to support internal workflows and user-facing services.
The ISSN+ production tool has become a cornerstone of this transformation. Its adoption by an increasing number of national centres has enabled more standardised and efficient catalogue processes. The development of APIs and interoperability features facilitates the integration of ISSN data into national and international systems even further.
The launch of the initial version of the new ISSN portal (https://portal.issn.org) in early 2026 represents a major milestone. This platform is designed to provide unified access to all services via a Single Sign-on system, thereby improving both usability and visibility. By integrating multiple services into a single interface, the portal will provide a more coherent and user-friendly experience.
Technological innovation also extends to the exploration of artificial intelligence. A project launched in 2025 aims to integrate AI modules into ISSN+ to support cataloguing and improve data quality. Rather than replacing professionals, these tools are intended to assist them by automating certain tasks and providing suggestions that can be validated by experts.
Meanwhile, the International Centre has enhanced its marketing and communication strategies, leveraging customer relationship management systems and targeted campaigns. These developments contribute to better user engagement and support the expansion of the Centre’s services.
The modernisation of tools is closely linked to the other strategic areas. Improved systems facilitate better data quality, supporting the work of the network while enabling the development of new services. This integrated approach reflects a broader ambition: to build a coherent digital ecosystem that meets the evolving needs of libraries, publishers, and information professionals.
Building the ISSN system of 2029
The developments observed in 2025 confirm that the ISSN International Centre has entered a new phase of its evolution. The combination of network strengthening, enhanced data quality and technological modernisation forms a coherent strategy aimed at consolidating the global role of the ISSN system.
Looking ahead to 2029, the objectives are clear: to further expand and strengthen the network, maintain high data quality standards and develop innovative, technology-driven services. To achieve these goals, continued investment, close collaboration with national centres, and careful integration of new technologies will be required.
In an era of rapid changes in publishing practices and growing digital infrastructure, the ISSN International Centre is establishing itself as a pivotal player in the organisation and dissemination of information. Its success in the years to come will depend on its ability to balance continuity and innovation.
Gaëlle Béquet is Executive Director of the ISSN International Centre