The purpose of the Common Communication Format (CCF) is to provide a detailed and structured method for recording a number of mandatory and optional data elements in a computer-readable bibliographic record for exchange purposes between two or more computer-based systems. However, it can also be useful within non-computerized bibliographic systems. Not designed to be used as a manual by staff responsible for coding or otherwise preparing bibliographic descriptions for input to a computer system, this document is meant to be a specification to assist systems designers in devising local procedures and computer programs so that they can exchange files in either direction with other organizations which may use the CCF. It is neither complete nor final, as much work remains to be done to test the current version of the CCF and to provide assistance in its implementation. It is also expected that the scope of the CCF data elements, now confined to descriptions of monographs and serial publications, will be expanded. This manual is divided into five parts: introduction, use of the format, data elements, codes used in the data elements, and examples of complete records. (DMC)