Product Numbers

Products must be unambiguously identifiable throughout their life cycle at various points. This may be for a publisher’s internal purposes, but primarily so that distributors and merchants can unambiguously identify any given product.

• GTIN-13
• ISBN-13
• ISBN-10
• DOI – Digital Object Identifier
• ISBN-A
• Stock number

Each product number is given in a ProductIdentifier composite. The product number itself is to be entered under IDValue resp. b244, and the type of product number to be defined under ProductIDType bzw. b221 with a value from Code list 5.

The Global Trade Item Number (GTIN, earlier term: EAN) identifies various kinds of products worldwide. For ISBN products, the string of digits of ISBN-13 is the same as for GTIN-13.

Products without an ISBN-13 require a GTIN.

<productidentifier>
 <b221>03</b221>
 <b244>0401234567890</b244>
</productidentifier>

<ProductIdentifier>
 <ProductIDType>03</ProductIDType>
 <IDValue>0401234567890</IDValue>
</ProductIdentifier>

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a globally valid identification number for monographic publications. It marks publishing products such as printed books, e-books, picture calendars as well as maps and thus simplifies the ordering processes of the bookselling trade.

The string of digits of ISBN-13 is the same as for the GTIN-13 of a product.

<productidentifier>
 <b221>15</b221>
 <b244>9783812345675</b244>
</productidentifier>

<ProductIdentifier>
 <ProductIDType>15</ProductIDType>
 <IDValue>9783812345675</IDValue>
</ProductIdentifier>

The ten-digit ISBN-10 was replaced in 2007 by the 13-digit ISBN 13. During the transition, all existing ISBN-10 were changed to ISBN-13. If your title originally received an ISBN-10, you can enter this in addition to the ISBN 13.

<productidentifier>
 <b221>02</b221>
 <b244>3812345676</b244>
</productidentifier>

<ProductIdentifier>
 <ProductIDType>02</ProductIDType>
 <IDValue>3812345676</IDValue>
</ProductIdentifier>

The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a permanent document identification used for linking to and quoting from all kinds of documents within a digital network.
DOI prefixes are assigned by special registration agencies.

<productidentifier>
 <b221>06</b221>
 <b244>10.1000/182</b244>
</productidentifier>

<ProductIdentifier>
 <ProductIDType>06</ProductIDType>
 <IDValue>10.1000/182</IDValue>
</ProductIdentifier>

If your product has an internal stock number, you may provide this as well. The use of stock numbers in the bookselling trade is not trivial, because stock numbers only become unambiguous when linked to the respective publisher.

<productidentifier>
 <b221>01</b221>
 <b233>Publishers Order No</b233>
 <b244>123456</b244>
</productidentifier>

<ProductIdentifier>
 <ProductIDType>01</ProductIDType>
 <IDTypeName>Publishers Order No</IDTypeName>
 <IDValue>123456</IDValue>
</ProductIdentifier>