Overview
ISO 5122:1979 - Documentation - Abstract sheets in serial publications defines a concise, consistent format for an abstract sheet (analytic summary) attached to a periodical or other serial publication. First published in 1979, the standard sets out rules for the content, structure, physical presentation and languages of an abstract sheet that provides the bibliographic description and an analysis of each article for documentation and indexing work. The standard includes an illustrative example (in English/French) and recommended page layout options.
Key topics and requirements
- Purpose and scope
- Abstract sheets provide a detailed, documentable description of each article sufficient for documentation and retrieval; they do not replace the table of contents.
- Header content (excluded from article blocks)
- Title of the serial (bold), ISSN, full issue date, classification source, source of descriptors, and permission to reproduce the abstract sheet.
- Article blocks - required elements (in order)
- Classification index (e.g., CDU or another international system)
- Author name(s) with given names in presented form
- Author affiliation and place of work (optional/in brackets)
- Title and subtitle in original language (transliterated if needed)
- Translation of title into the abstract-sheet language (where applicable)
- Language of the article coded per ISO/R 639
- Source citation elements per bibliographic rules (ISO 690)
- Analytic abstract (following ISO 214)
- Descriptors or free terms (keywords)
- Physical presentation
- Same paper format as the host publication; printed on separate pages (preferably detachable) placed consistently in every issue (start or end).
- Article-block printable area: maximum width 95 mm and maximum height 64 mm to allow filing (e.g., A7 cards).
- Abstract pages must not be included in main issue pagination.
- Languages
- Abstract sheets must appear in the publication language and in at least one of ISO’s three official languages (English, French or Russian). Original-language identification must remain clear.
Applications and users
- Who benefits
- Librarians, documentalists, abstracting and indexing services, serial publishers, editors and metadata specialists.
- Practical uses
- Standardizes metadata for indexing, cross‑language access, archival filing, and automated or manual documentation workflows.
- Facilitates consistent bibliographic description for abstracting services and library catalogues, improving discovery and interlibrary exchange.
Related standards
ISO 5122 references other ISO documentation standards relevant to implementation:
- ISO 4 (journal title abbreviations), ISO 8 (presentation of serials), ISO 214 (analysis for publications), ISO 690 (bibliographic references), ISO 3297 (ISSN), ISO/R 639 (language codes), ISO 832 / ISO 833, and ISO/R 215 (presentation of journal articles).
Keywords: ISO 5122:1979, abstract sheet, serial publications, documentation, periodical indexing, bibliographic metadata, ISSN, ISO standards.
