How Do You Find The Volume Number?
The volume number is usually printed on the journal’s front cover or inside title page, often marked with “Vol.” before the number
Here’s the thing: a journal’s volume number tracks how many years it’s been publishing. Imagine a journal that started in 2010 and is now in 2026—that’s Volume 17. (If you’re still unsure, flip to the inside masthead or first page of the PDF. Publishers practically slap it right in your face.) Still can’t find it? Check the PDF’s metadata under “document properties”—the volume field should be there.
What is the volume number?
Volume number is a sequential count of the years a journal has been published
Think of volume as the journal’s “season” and issue as the “episode.” Volume counts the years; issue counts the individual publications within that year. A monthly journal that kicked off in 2020? By 2026, it’ll be on Volume 7. Most databases like PubMed and Scopus list volume first, then issue, separated by commas (e.g., JAMA, 2026, 325(4)). Honestly, this is the clearest way to keep things straight.
How do you find volume and issue number?
Volume and issue numbers are usually listed right after the periodical title in a citation
Grab the PDF and look just above the article’s first paragraph. You’ll often see something like “Vol. 12, No. 3” in bold. If you’re stuck with just a webpage, scroll to the footer or “about” section—journals usually spell out their numbering scheme there. In HTML versions, these numbers might hide in the header or sidebar under “Publication Info.”
What if there is no volume number?
If no volume exists, place a period after the journal title and continue with issue and year
Some open-access journals skip volume numbers entirely and just paginate continuously by issue. In APA style, you’d write: Journal Title., 2026, 15(2). That’s it—just issue and year. Double-check the PDF’s first page; if the publisher starts page numbering at 1 for every issue, you’ve confirmed it’s issue-only pagination.
How do you write volume number in references?
Italicize the volume number and omit italics for the issue number and parentheses
APA 7th edition keeps it clean: Journal Name, 12(3), 45–60. Notice the comma after the italicized volume, then the issue in plain parentheses. No issue? Drop the parentheses entirely: Science, 382, 112–118. And don’t forget the period after the closing parenthesis before the page range.
Is volume or issue in brackets?
Volume is enclosed in parentheses when it follows an edition statement
In book citations, you’ll often see something like: Author, A. (2026). Book Title (3rd ed., Vol. 2). Publisher. The edition comes first, then the volume in parentheses. This pops up a lot in multi-volume works like encyclopedias or series where the edition tells you which printing you’re citing.
What is the article title?
Article title is the descriptive phrase that names the specific content of the piece
Think of it like the headline at the top of a Wikipedia page. In scholarly citations, the title appears in sentence case—only the first word and proper nouns get capitalized. When referencing, copy the title exactly as it appears, unless it’s over 20 words in APA. No paraphrasing allowed.
Can a volume number be a year?
Yes, in some journals the volume number is replaced by the calendar year
Take the Federal Reserve’s Banking and Community Perspectives newsletter—they use the year as their “volume.” Example: Banking and Community Perspectives, 2026(1). This happens most often in annual or quarterly publications that don’t need a running count. If the first page shows the year where a volume number usually appears, you’ve found your answer.
Is ISSN issue number?
No—the ISSN identifies the journal title, not the issue
An ISSN (like 1234-5678) stays the same for the life of the journal unless the title changes. Issues are tracked separately with volume, issue, and page numbers. Want to confirm? Look up the journal’s ISSN on the ISSN Portal—it’s not an issue-specific code.
Is edition the same as volume?
No—edition refers to a specific printing or revision of a book, while volume refers to a physical or thematic part of a multi-part work
Edition counts reprints or updates (e.g., 2nd ed.), while volume counts separate books within a series. A trilogy has three volumes, and each volume might have multiple editions. In citations, edition follows the title in parentheses, and volume follows the edition when both exist.
Is article number same as issue number?
No—article numbers replace page ranges in some online-only journals, while issue numbers still identify the issue within the volume
PLOS ONE uses article numbers (e.g., PLOS ONE, 2026, 21, e0321456). The issue number might still appear (e.g., 21(3)), but the article number is unique to the digital version. Always include the article number if it’s provided—it’s basically the DOI’s page-equivalent in journals that don’t use traditional pagination.
How do you read a citation?
A citation lists the author, year, title, source, volume, issue, and page or article number in a structured order
- Italicize the source title (journal or book).
- List volume (italicized) and issue (in parentheses) after the title.
- Follow with year in parentheses, then page or article number.
- End with the DOI or URL if available.
Example: Smith, J. (2026). New insights in neurology. Brain Research, 382(4), 112–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2026.12345
How do you write volume and issue in APA?
Italicize the volume number; place the issue number in plain parentheses immediately after, with no space
- Title of journal is italicized.
- Volume number (only) is italicized: 12.
- Issue number in parentheses, no italics: (3).
- Comma, then year in parentheses.
Correct: Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(2), 123–145. Skip the “Vol.” or “No.”—APA style prefers plain numbers.
How do you know if a journal is paginated by volume or issue?
If each issue starts page numbering at 1, the journal is paginated by issue; if page numbers continue from issue to issue, it’s paginated by volume
Open the PDF and check two back-to-back issues. If Issue 2 starts on page 101, it’s issue-paginated. If Issue 2 picks up at page 201, it’s volume-paginated. Most print journals keep numbering continuous across issues, while many online-only journals reset page numbers for each issue.
Is Edition same as issue?
No—edition refers to a specific printing or update of a book, while issue refers to a numbered publication within a journal’s volume
Edition is a book thing (e.g., 3rd ed.). Issue is a journal thing (e.g., 5). You might cite a 3rd-edition book chapter and a 2026 journal issue in the same paper—they’re completely separate numbering systems. Edition is often abbreviated “ed.” in citations; issue is abbreviated “no.” in APA.
How do you abbreviate volume and issue?
Abbreviate volume as “Vol.” and issue as “no.” in non-APA styles; in APA, simply use the numbers without abbreviations
Chicago style: Journal, Vol. 15, no. 2. MLA style: Journal 15.2. APA style stays numeric: Journal, 15(2). Always match the citation style you’re using—abbreviations vary wildly across MLA, Chicago, and IEEE.
