The Journal of the Graduate Research Center began publication in 1960 in conjunction with the formation of the Graduate Research Center, Inc (GRC). An older publication series, Field & Laboratory, was incorporated into the Journal of the Graduate Research Center, which maintained the volume numbering scheme from its predecessor. Most articles were authored by SMU faculty, some derived from thesis papers, and researchers from outside of SMU also contributed. The focus of the new journal was much broader across the sciences and humanities than the earlier journal. Topics ranged from biology, mathematics, statistics, physics, and geology to business and economics, geography, anthropology, and history. Longer publications, theme issues and even a book were featured.