It was initially launched as Shakai Rinri Kenkyuu (Social Ethics Research) in 1992, but since the fifth issue of 1998, it has been renamed Shakai to Rinri (Society and Ethics) as in its current publication form. It is a thematic and thoroughly peer reviewed journal. The first part of the journal is a collection of articles written by leading scholars on the area related to the theme of the journal of that particular year. The Institute distributes an approximate 600 copies of each issue to its registered members. It is also available online in Japanese only.

Since 2008 the Institute began to publish the hard and online copies of the Newsletter (after a preparation issue of 2007), as the Institute felt the need to publish the paper of the winners of the Nanzan Award for Outstanding Research by Young Scholars in Social Ethics, which began that year. The Newsletter also provides general information on the activities of the Institute, such as reports of the colloquium, symposium, conference, talk-seminar, as well as, other research activities and recent publications of its members. It is also available online in Japanese only.

There are brief summary reports of the colloquia, workshop, symposium, talk seminar and conference organized by the Institute. Depending on the necessity, they can be either in Japanese or in English, or both.

So far, the Institute has published a jointly edited book on Asia‒Pacific Geopolitics, in particular on the issues relate to hegemony and/versus human security.