How to Find a Volume Number on a Journal

The volume number of a journal, or any other periodical text, refers to the number of years the text has been in publication. For example, all issues of a journal released in its third year of publication would be categorized under volume three. Volume number is required if you are citing the journal in certain writing styles, such as American Psychological Association format. The number is often noted on the cover or title page of the book.

A journal's volume number is usually noted on the front cover or the inside title page. The number is easily identified, as it is usually preceded by the abbreviation "Vol." and is listed right before the number. Other places where the volume number may be listed are on the spine of the journal, on the Table of Contents page or on the publication information page. Sometimes the volume number is written in Roman numerals. If you are looking for the volume number of a journal that you are reading online, the volume number is usually listed at the very bottom of every article page along with the issue number and publication date.