Volume, Issue, Page Numbers, and Elocation-ID

Journal numbering looks simple at first, but it becomes an important publishing decision when a journal has to choose between volume, issue, page ranges, article numbers, and elocation IDs. These details appear in citations, article pages, PDFs, metadata exports, DOI deposits, indexing records, and library databases. A clear numbering structure helps readers, authors, editors, and indexing services identify articles correctly.

Why Citation Structure Matters

Every academic article needs a stable identity. The title, author name, DOI, publication date, volume, issue, page range, and article number all help readers identify and cite the work. If this information is inconsistent, citations become confusing. For example, if an article page shows one page range, the PDF shows another, and the metadata export shows no page number at all, indexing services and readers may treat the record as incomplete.

In OJS, journals can manage issues, articles, galleys, DOI information, publication dates, and metadata. However, the journal team must first decide which numbering model they want to follow. Traditional print-style journals often use volume, issue, and page ranges. Modern online-only journals may use article numbers or elocation IDs instead of page ranges. Continuous publishing journals may publish articles as soon as they are ready and assign an article identifier instead of waiting for final issue pagination.

What Is a Volume?

A volume usually represents a publishing year or a major annual collection of journal content. Many journals publish one volume per year. For example, all articles published in 2026 may belong to Volume 12. The next year may become Volume 13. This method is simple and easy for readers to understand. It also matches traditional academic citation formats.

Some journals may publish more than one volume per year, but this is less common. The most important point is consistency. If a journal uses one volume per year, it should continue that pattern unless there is a strong editorial reason to change. Volume numbering should be clearly shown on issue pages, article pages, PDFs, and citation recommendations.

What Is an Issue?

An issue is a smaller collection inside a volume. A journal may publish monthly, quarterly, biannually, or annually. For example, Volume 12 may include Issue 1, Issue 2, Issue 3, and Issue 4. Each issue contains a group of articles published together. This structure is useful for journals that follow scheduled publication cycles.

Issue-based publishing is still widely used because it gives editors a clear production schedule. Authors know when an issue is released, readers can browse articles issue by issue, and indexing platforms can record articles under a familiar structure. In OJS, issues can be created with volume number, issue number, year, title, cover image, description, and table of contents.

What Are Page Numbers?

Page numbers are the traditional way to locate an article inside a printed issue. For example, an article may appear as pages 101–115. In print journals, this makes sense because all articles are arranged inside one fixed issue. Even in online journals, some publishers continue using page ranges because they are familiar and accepted in citation formats.

However, page numbering can become complicated for online-first publishing. If articles are published one by one before the issue is finalized, final page ranges may not be known at the time of publication. PDF layout may change during production. Supplementary files may not follow the same pagination. For this reason, some online journals now prefer article numbers or elocation IDs.

What Is an Article Number?

An article number is a unique number assigned to an article within an issue, volume, or journal. Instead of saying the article is on pages 101–115, the journal may say it is Article 08 or Article e2026045. This article number becomes part of the citation and helps readers identify the article without depending on page ranges.

Article numbers are useful for online-only journals, continuous publishing models, and journals that do not want to manage final page ranges. They also make article production faster because the journal does not need to wait for complete issue pagination before publishing an article.

What Is an Elocation-ID?

An elocation ID, also called an electronic location identifier, is used to identify an article in an online journal where traditional page ranges may not apply. It works like a stable article location marker. Instead of giving a page range, the journal gives an identifier such as e12345, e2026007, or 45. This identifier can appear in citations, metadata, article pages, and PDF files.

Elocation IDs are especially helpful for journals that publish continuously. When an article is ready, it can be published immediately with its own identifier. The journal does not need to wait until all articles in an issue are finalized. This supports faster publication and reduces production delays.

Volume, Issue, and Page Range Model

The traditional model uses volume, issue, and page range together. A citation may look like this: Journal Name. 2026;12(2):101–115. This is familiar to authors, editors, librarians, and indexing platforms. It is a good choice for journals that publish fixed issues on a schedule and prepare complete PDFs with final pagination.

• Best for journals with scheduled issue publication.
• Useful when articles are arranged in fixed PDF page order.
• Works well for journals that still follow print-style citation formats.
• Requires careful page numbering before final publication.

Volume, Issue, and Elocation-ID Model

In this model, the journal still uses volume and issue numbers, but instead of page ranges, each article receives an elocation ID. A citation may look like this: Journal Name. 2026;12(2):e007. This model is useful when the journal wants to keep issue-based organization but does not want to manage continuous page ranges.

This approach gives the journal flexibility. Editors can still organize articles into issues, while production teams can publish article PDFs independently. The article ID becomes the main location marker instead of page numbers. For online journals, this can reduce layout pressure and make publishing faster.

Continuous Publishing with Article Numbers

Continuous publishing means articles are published when they are ready, rather than waiting for a full issue to be completed. This model is becoming common for online journals because it reduces delay between acceptance and publication. In this structure, article numbers or elocation IDs become very important.

For example, a journal may publish Volume 12 throughout the year and assign each article an ID such as e2026001, e2026002, e2026003, and so on. At the end of the year, the full volume is complete. Some journals still group articles into issues later, while others publish only by volume. The chosen model should be clear in the journal’s author guidelines and citation format.

How This Works in OJS

OJS allows journals to create volumes, issues, and article publication metadata. The journal can decide how articles should be displayed and cited. Depending on the OJS version and configuration, article metadata can include pages, DOI, publication date, issue assignment, galley files, and other identifiers. The important part is to keep the same data consistent across OJS article pages, PDFs, citation exports, and DOI metadata.

If a journal uses page ranges, the page field should be filled accurately. If the journal uses elocation IDs, the production team should decide where the ID will appear and how it will be formatted. The same value should appear in the article PDF, article landing page, citation recommendation, and indexing exports where possible.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using page numbers in PDFs but leaving page metadata empty in OJS.
• Changing citation format after several issues are already published.
• Using different article number formats in different issues.
• Assigning duplicate elocation IDs to more than one article.
• Showing one format on the website and another format in DOI metadata.
• Not documenting the numbering rule for editors and production staff.

How to Choose the Right Model

The right model depends on the journal’s publishing style. If your journal publishes complete issues at fixed intervals and prepares final PDFs with continuous page ranges, the traditional volume, issue, and page number model may be the best choice. It is familiar, simple, and widely understood.

If your journal is online-only, publishes articles quickly, or does not want to manage continuous pagination, article numbers or elocation IDs may be better. This model gives more flexibility and supports faster publishing. It is also useful for journals that publish HTML, XML, PDF, and supplementary files where traditional page ranges may not fully represent the article.

Recommended Numbering Examples

• Traditional: Vol. 12, Issue 2, pp. 101–115
• Issue with article number: Vol. 12, Issue 2, Article 07
• Issue with elocation ID: Vol. 12, Issue 2, e007
• Continuous publishing: Vol. 12, e2026007
• Subject-based issue: Vol. 12, Special Issue 1, e015

Metadata and DOI Considerations

Citation structure is closely connected with metadata. When depositing DOI metadata or exporting records for indexing, the article’s volume, issue, page, and article number should be accurate. If the journal uses elocation IDs, the team should decide whether the ID will be stored as page information, article number, or another supported metadata field depending on the workflow and export requirements.

Consistency is more important than decoration. Indexing services and citation tools depend on clean metadata. A journal should not use multiple formats without a clear rule. For example, if the article ID format is e2026001, then every article in that year should follow the same pattern. Avoid switching between “Article 1”, “A001”, “e001”, and “2026-001” unless there is a documented reason.

Guidelines for Production Teams

Production teams should receive a simple numbering policy before preparing article PDFs. The policy should explain how to assign volume, issue, page number, article number, or elocation ID. It should also explain where the information should appear in the PDF. Usually, this information appears on the first page of the article, citation block, header/footer area, and article metadata section.

If the journal uses page ranges, production teams should avoid duplicate page ranges in the same issue. If the journal uses article numbers, the number should be unique inside the volume or issue. If the journal uses elocation IDs, the format should be short, stable, and easy to read.

Practical Checklist

• Decide whether the journal follows issue-based or continuous publishing.
• Choose page ranges, article numbers, or elocation IDs before publishing new articles.
• Use one consistent format across article pages, PDFs, citations, and metadata exports.
• Check that every article has correct volume and issue information.
• Avoid duplicate article numbers or duplicate elocation IDs.
• Document the numbering model in author and production guidelines.
• Review citation output after every issue is published.

GetOJS Recommendation

GetOJS recommends choosing the numbering model early in the journal setup process. Changing citation structure later can create metadata cleanup work, DOI correction work, indexing confusion, and PDF revision requirements. For traditional issue-based journals, volume, issue, and page ranges remain a strong option. For modern online-only or continuous publishing journals, article numbers or elocation IDs can be more practical.

The best model is the one your journal can follow consistently. Whether you choose pages or elocation IDs, the format should be clear, documented, and repeated across every article. A stable citation structure makes the journal easier to cite, easier to index, and easier to manage in the long term.