ISO 9707:2008 PDF

Overview

ISO 9707:2008 - Information and documentation - Statistics on the production and distribution of books, newspapers, periodicals and electronic publications provides guidance for compiling standardized national statistics about the publishing sector. The second edition (2008) updates the original 1991 standard to cover electronic publications (eBooks, electronic serials, databases) while preserving definitions and harmonization needs so statistics from different countries are comparable.

The standard defines bibliographic and publishing terms (book, pamphlet, periodical, newspaper, database, digital document, ISBN, ISSN, circulation figure, etc.) and sets out what publications are included and explicitly excluded (for example, advertising materials, transitory items, maps/charts except atlases). It also offers recommendations on subject classification (Annex A).

Key Topics

• Scope and exclusions: which printed, electronic and micro-publications are covered; clear exclusions such as advertising-only publications, timetables, price lists, and non-text-dominant items (maps, printed music).
• Standardized definitions: precise terms for books, pamphlets, periodicals, newspapers, electronic publications, databases, digital documents, ISBN and ISSN usage for statistical purposes.
• Statistics on production and distribution:
  • Books and pamphlets - data to collect for production and distribution.
  • Newspapers and periodicals - production and distribution metrics, including circulation figures.
  • Electronic publications - guidance on production statistics for eBooks, electronic serials and databases.
• Publishing industry statistics: principles for collecting and presenting data on publishers, printing houses and ancillary organizations.
• Data collection and presentation principles: recommendations to harmonize reporting across national libraries, statistical offices and publishers’ associations.
• Subject classification: guidance to classify publications consistently for thematic statistics (Annex A).
• Limitations noted: does not provide methods for distribution statistics of electronic media or for the emerging field of print-on-demand distribution (to be addressed in future revisions).

Applications / Who Uses ISO 9707:2008

• National statistical offices compiling cultural and industry statistics.
• National and legal deposit libraries maintaining national bibliographies.
• Publishers’ associations and market analysts tracking production volumes and circulation trends.
• Policy makers and cultural agencies assessing publishing output, access and market health.
• Researchers and librarians conducting comparative studies or collection development.

Practical uses include producing comparable international publishing statistics, monitoring shifts to electronic publishing, informing cultural policy, estimating market size, and harmonizing ISBN/ISSN-based reporting.

Related Standards

• ISO 2789 (bibliographic statistics and terminology)
• ISO 2108 (ISBN)
• ISO 3297 (ISSN)
• ISO 5127 (vocabulary for information and documentation)

Keywords: ISO 9707, publishing statistics, books newspapers periodicals, electronic publications, eBooks, databases, ISBN, ISSN, national statistics, subject classification.