The Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture and Commerce published Transactions annually from 1783 until 1850-51. The Transactions were printed as a means to disseminate information about the work of the Society, in particular the offering and bestowing of awards and they include descriptions of the inventions and correspondence submitted in support of claims for awards.

Established in 1852 The Journal was also designed to record the work of the Society; it contained the formal proceedings of the Society, the notices, the appointment of various committees and their areas of interest. The ‘Royal’ prefix was added in 1908, so Journal’s prior to this are attributed to ‘The Society of Arts’. The Journal was distributed to ‘Members’, prior to 1914 and ‘Fellows’ post 1914, as the term 'Fellow' wasn't introduced until 1914. The Journal can be purchased by non-affiliates and is a useful resource for finding out about the past work and attitudes of the Society.