As a result of the recommendation, the American Sociological Association initiated a collaborative agreement with the nonprofit publisher Annual Reviews for the creation of such a journal.

[7] Most volumes include a prefatory chapter written by a distinguished sociologist in which they reflect on their career and achievements.

[8] It is abstracted and indexed in Scopus, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, and Academic Search, among others.

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.