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**1. ISSN Format and Validation:**
– An ISSN is an eight-digit code with a hyphen separating two four-digit numbers.
– The last digit serves as a check digit to ensure uniqueness.
– The general format is NNNN-NNNC.
– Calculation of the check digit involves a specific algorithm.
– Online ISSN checkers are available for validation.
– ISSNs can be encoded in EAN-13 barcodes with a 977 country code.
– EAN-13 includes 7 main digits of the ISSN followed by 2 publisher-defined digits.
– The EAN check digit may differ from the ISSN check digit.

**2. Code Assignment and Maintenance:**
– ISSN codes are assigned by a network of ISSN National Centres.
– The ISSN International Centre in Paris coordinates these centres.
– Established in 1974 through an agreement between UNESCO and the French government.

**3. Linking and Registering ISSNs:**
– ISSN-L is a unique identifier for all versions of a serial across different media.
– It facilitates search, retrieval, and delivery across media versions.
– The International Centre maintains the ISSN Register, accessible by subscription.
– Most serial publications include ISSN codes in print and on websites.
– WorldCat allows searching its catalog by ISSN.

**4. Use of ISSN in URNs and Issues Faced:**
– ISSN can be encoded as a URN with the prefix urn:ISSN:.
– URN namespaces are case-sensitive, with the ISSN namespace in uppercase.
– URNs simplify search, recovery, and delivery of data.
– Challenges include multiple ISSN codes for the same journal and the need for unique identifiers like NLM Unique ID.
– ISSN lacks resolution mechanisms like DOI, leading to the use of DOI as a URN for articles.

**5. Media Categories and Related Resources:**
– Two standard media categories for serials: print and electronic.
– Print ISSN is represented by p-ISSN.
– Electronic ISSN is represented by e-ISSN.
– ROAD is the Directory of Open Access Scholarly Resources.
– Other resources include CODEN and WorldCat as an ISSN-resolve service, with references to various documents and manuals related to ISSN standards and usage.