ISBN

What?

ISBN stands for "International Standard Book Number". Think of it as a DOI, but for books!

Why?

An ISBN is not obligatory to graduate as a doctor, but it is encouraged at our Faculty of Bioscience Engineering. It increases the visibility of your work and having a publication with an ISBN looks good on funding applications. It also means your work will be added to the collection of the Belgian Royal Library, where it will be conserved and consulted forever.

If the doctoral dissertation contains confidential information, you can still request an ISBN. You should indicate in Plato that it is a confidential dissertation and the library will make sure it cannot be consulted by others. Also make sure to include a disclaimer in your physical copies.

How?

• A doctoral student at the faculty of Bioscience Engineering can request an ISBN by filling in this application form. 
• The library will verify the application with the student administration and request the ISBN on your behalf. This procedure can take about 3 working days.
• Once the ISBN is awarded, the library will contact you via e-mail with the number.
• The doctoral student informs the printing company to insert the ISBN on the back of the title page and at the backside of the publication (with a barcode).
• The doctoral student will bring to hard copies to the student administration when they are printed.
• The library receives the two copies from the student administration and registers them at the Belgian Royal Library.

If you have any questions, please contact the Faculty Library of BIoscience Engineering via bib.fbw@ugent.be .