The main focus of the journal is still scientific peer-reviewed articles, including descriptions of new taxa.

Carole Hertz was the second editor, and after 1976, under her guidance, the publication grew and evolved into a scientific journal.

The front page of the January 1985 issue included, for the first time, a list of a Scientific Review Board of nine professional malacologists.

[2] In February 2014, it was announced that The Festivus was changing editorship and it would, from that point on, be published quarterly in both electronic and print format.

The first quarterly issue was published in May 2014, and for the first time the publication included articles naming new taxa.

[citation needed] However, some professional malacologists have disputed its peer-review status;[a] a number of new taxa described in its issues by one prolific contributor have subsequently been synonymized, usurped, or otherwise characterized as "taxonomic vandalism".