Increasing Error Detection and Correction Efficiency in ISBN Code

The current International Standard Book Number (ISBN) code is designed to detect any error and correct any single-error and double-error created by the transposition of two digits. The decoder of the code would have to know that the detected error is a single or a double transposition if they are to correct it. In this paper we show how the efficiency in error detection and correction in the ISBN can be significantly increased. To achieve this we redesigned the existing ISBN by converting it to a cyclic code. This code can determine if there is a single error or a combination of errors, identify the position of the error(s) and consequently correct both transpose and nontranspose errors. This work will help in providing reference for a coding system with high efficiency in error correction, a quality that is important for both local and international publishers.