How to Determine Whether a Periodical Is Paginated by Issue
by Tyler Krupa
Per APA Style, when formatting periodical references (which include journals, magazines, and newsletters), include the issue number (immediately following the volume number in parentheses) when the periodical is paginated by issue (i.e., begins each issue with page 1). Otherwise, include only the volume number (see p. 198 of the 6th edition of the APA Publication Manual).
Therefore, in the journal article reference listed below, note that both the volume number and the issue number are included because the E-Journal of Applied Psychology is paginated by issue:
Sillick, T. J., & Schutte, N. S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and self-esteem mediate between perceived early parental love and adult happiness. E-Journal of Applied Psychology, 2(2), 38–48. Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap |
Although it is rare for journals to be paginated by issue (note that all APA journals use continuous pagination), sometimes determining whether a periodical is paginated by issue is not clear. In these instances, there are two steps that you can follow to determine the pagination:
1. Compare the page range and issue number of the article. If you see that the issue number is 2 or more and the page range of your article is low, chances are that the periodical is paginated by issue, as the second and subsequent issues of a volume should contain higher page ranges if the pages of the volume are numbered continuously. In the Sillick and Schutte (2006) example above, the article is contained in the second issue but has a low page range (38–48), which should tip you off that this journal is paginated by issue. Likewise, if the issue number is 2 or more and the page range of the article is high, chances are that the periodical is not paginated by issue, as a periodical that begins each issue on page 1 should not contain articles that have high page ranges.
In instances in which you still cannot determine whether a periodical is paginated by issue by following this step (e.g., when the article is contained in the first issue of a volume or when the page range is not high or low enough for you to definitively make a decision), then completing the next step will get your answer.
2. Go to the periodical’s home page on the Internet and check the table of contents (TOC) of past issues. At a periodical’s home page, you should be able to compare the TOCs of issues within a volume and determine whether each issue begins at page 1. If you find that each issue of a volume begins on page 1, include the issue number in parentheses after the volume number in your reference. If the page numbers of issues within a volume are numbered continuously, include only the volume number in your reference.
We hope this explanation helps to clear up any confusion regarding when to include an issue number when formatting periodical references. If not, feel free to leave a comment.