News
WUR Library stops issuing ISBNs
As of 1 January 2024, WUR Library will no longer issue ISBNs for reports, dissertations or books. An ISBN is no longer required for PhD theses and the doctoral degree regulations have been changed accordingly. For most WUR publications, a DOI has replaced the function of the ISBN.
What is an ISBN and do I need one?
The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique code assigned to printed publications to make them easier to find. Each ISBN contains 13 digits. It's mostly used for printed books.
WUR reports and PhD theses do not require an ISBN unless they are in print ánd to be sold and distributed through commercial channels. If an ISBN is needed, usually the publisher will assign an ISBN to your book. If that is not the case, you can easily request an ISBN for your book publication at the ISBN website of the Centraal Boekhuis.
In the past years, WUR authors often requested ISBNs through the Library, along with the DOI request, when in fact it was no longer necessary. The DOI as a publication identifier is sufficient for most WUR publications. Therefore, as of 1 January 2024, WUR Library will stop assigning ISBNs to WUR publications.
How to request a DOI?
A DOI, or Digital Object Identifier, is a string of numbers, letters and symbols used to uniquely identify an article or document and to provide it with a permanent web address (URL). For the findability of reports, academic publications and dissertations, a DOI is more important nowadays than an ISBN.
If you are a staff member of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) and are planning to publish a WUR report, WUR Library can supply you with a DOI for your publication. For more information, please see: Request a DOI - WUR
PhDs will get instructions for requesting the DOI from the Doctoral Service Centre.
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact the Library. You can send an email to the Servicedesk Facilities.