The journal publishes scholarly research papers and reviews from across a range of academic fields in the humanities, including anthropology, folklore, literary studies, historiography, socio-political studies and aspects of the region's natural history.

[1] The focus of the quarterly was on the history of the entire region west of the Mississippi River.

[1] Carroll resigned as editor in 1963 when the University rejected his desire to move the journal to the WHA.

[1] Harwood P. Hinton, took over and remained editor until its final issue of volume 28 Winter 1986.

[3] The journal's focus was changed from a primarily military and economic history of the entire American West to an interdisciplinary study of anthropology, sociology, geography and other study areas emphasizing the Southwest United States and Northern Mexico.