Definition of a Serial

I. SERIAL DEFINED

A serial is defined as a publication in any medium issued as parts bearing numerical or chronological designation and intended to be continued indefinitely.  Serials include periodicals, newspapers, annuals (reports, yearbooks, etc.), the journals, memoirs, proceedings, transactions, etc. of socieities, and numbered monographic series.

Thus, to be considered a serial, a publication must:

1. Bear some form of designation which will distinguish the various issues from one another.  This designation may consist of numbers, volume numbers, dates, letters of the alphabet, etc.

2. Be an on-going publication, intended to be issued indefinitely.  Obviously, most serials will not continue forever; however, it is the original intent of the publisher that is important.

   For example, an encyclopedia that is issued in many volumes over a span of years is NOT a serial because the publisher has planned to issue a finite number of volumes; but a monthly journal tahat ceases after only one or two issues have been published is a serial because the original intent was to publish an issue every month.

3. A serial must also bear a title common to all issues.  If a publication is issued on a regular basis but each issue bears only a distinctive title, there is no common title by which all issues can be grouped;  therefore, the publication is not a serial.

   Serial titles may be found in various locations and sometimes in variant forms of the same title appear on the piece.  Following are brief definitions of the various types of titles that you may encounter.

1. Title page title.  The title page is usually found at the beginning of the serial and bears the title of the serial.  Often it will also include the statement of responsibility and publishing information.  When a serial bears a title page, the title that is found there is considered to be the official title of the serial.  Title pages are most commonly found on annual serials, such as directories, yearbooks, or annual reports.  Most periodicals do not have a title page.

2. Cover title.  Most serials bear some form of cover and the title is frequently found on the cover.  In cases where there is no title page, as with many periodicals, this may be the primary place where the title appears. In such cases, a note may appear on the serial record reading:  Cover title: (variant form of title).
   See example 1.

3. Caption title.  A caption title is one which appears above the beginning of the text.  Some serials lack a cover or title page and the text begins on the first page.  This is commonly found on government documents.

4. Spine title.  A title appearing on the spine of the serial.

5. Masthead title.  A title appearing above the table of contents or editorial page.

II. RECOGNIZABLE FEATURES OF A SERIAL

1. Number and/or date designations.  Since all serials must have a distinguishing number and/or date, this is usually the most obvious indication that a publication is a serial.  These designations are most commonly found:
   1. On the title page or cover.
      
   2. As part of, or close to, the title.
      
   3. On the table of contents page.
      
   4. On the the spine of the publication.
      See example 2.

2. Words in a title.  Words in the title which indicate the publication is of an on-going nature such as:
   1. Type of publication:  Journal, Newsletter, Yearbook, Revista, Bulletin
      
   2. Frequency of publication:  Annuaire de ...; Monthly report of ...;
      Quarterly digest of ... See example 3.

3. ISSN.  The ISSN, or International Standard Serial Number, appears on many publications and generally indicates that the publication is a serial.  The ISSN may appear on the cover, on the title page, or on the editorial page.

   The presence of the ISSN does not always mean that the publication is a serial.  The ISSN may have been assigned to the series of which the publication is part of and not the title.  If an ISSN and a ISBN (International Standard Book Number) both appear on a piece, the publication is likely to be a monograph in a series.  However, the presence of an ISBN does not alone give sufficient reason to reject the publication as a serial.
   See example 4.

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