It publishes invited review articles on topics considered to be timely and important in the fields of ecology, evolutionary biology, and systematics.

[6][7] It defines its scope as covering significant developments in the field of ecology, evolution, and systematics of all life on earth.

This includes reviews about molecular evolution, phylogeny, speciation, population dynamics, conservation biology, environmental resource management, and the study of invasive species.

All other members of the editorial committee are appointed by the Annual Reviews board of directors and serve five-year terms.

The editorial committee determines which topics should be included in each volume and solicits reviews from qualified authors.