ISO 10444-1994 PDF

Full title and description

Information and documentation — International standard technical report number (ISRN). This International Standard defines and promotes the use of a standard, machine-readable identifier (the ISRN) for the unique identification, organisation and location of technical reports produced in print or non‑print media.

Abstract

ISO 10444:1994 specifies a uniform format for creating unique, compatible numbers to identify technical reports. The standard applies to both publicly distributed and in‑house technical reports and describes the structure, permitted characters and general rules for forming an ISRN.

General information

• Status: Withdrawn (stage 95.99).
• Publication date: December 1994.
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 01.140.20 (Information sciences).
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (1994).
• Number of pages: 5 (original ISO publication).

Scope

Defines the International Standard Technical Report Number (ISRN) format and its intended use: a unique identifier to aid identification, classification and retrieval of technical reports regardless of medium. The scope explicitly covers both in‑house reports and those distributed to the public, including non‑print formats, and gives rules on the composition and presentation of the ISRN.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition and purpose of the ISRN as a unique identifier for technical reports.
• Structure and allowed characters for ISRN (alphanumeric segments; maximum length rules).
• Requirement that the prefix "ISRN" precede the identifier when written or printed.
• Option for an appended local suffix (not part of the official ISRN) and guidance on segmenting identifiers.
• Guidance on assignment/registration practices; a registration authority (historically FIZ Karlsruhe) was designated to manage allocations for the scheme.
• Interoperability considerations with existing national and sectoral report‑numbering practices (not a replacement for ISBN/ISSN but a complementary identifier for technical reports).

Typical use and users

Intended users were libraries, national bibliographic agencies, research institutes, university repositories, technical report series managers, standards bodies and publishers who need a consistent identifier scheme for technical reports to support discovery, cataloguing and inter‑repository exchange.

Related standards

Related/adjacent identifier standards and guidance include ANSI/NISO Z39.23 (Standard technical report number format and creation) and other international identifiers such as ISBN (books) and ISSN (serials). ISO/TC 46 work on identification and description is the relevant committee area for such documentation identifiers.

Keywords

ISRN; International Standard Technical Report Number; technical report identifier; report numbering; information and documentation; ISO 10444; registration authority; bibliographic identifier.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 10444:1994 is the ISO International Standard that defined the International Standard Technical Report Number (ISRN) — a standardized identifier for technical reports to support unique identification, cataloguing and retrieval.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the ISRN format, composition rules, presentation (the prefix "ISRN" and the identifier), optional local suffix usage, and applicability to both in‑house and publicly distributed technical reports in any medium.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Libraries, repository managers, research organisations, standards committees and publishers of technical reports — any organisation that issues or catalogues technical reports and needs a persistent, unique identifier.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 10444:1994 is listed as withdrawn (stage 95.99). Historical records and library/department notes indicate the ISRN scheme was not widely implemented and that the ISO entry was withdrawn (sources report a withdrawal process culminating around 2007 in practice). Users should treat the document as withdrawn and consult current national or organisational identifiers and NISO/ANSI guidance for technical‑report numbering.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: ISO 10444 is a standalone ISO standard addressing a specific identifier (ISRN). It is related conceptually to other identifier standards (ISBN, ISSN, ISMN, etc.) and was developed under ISO/TC 46 (Identification and description).

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: ISRN; technical report number; report identifier; information and documentation; ISO 10444; registration authority; bibliographic identifier.