Right from the start there was a concerted effort to make the publications of the Society widely known and of a high standard...As the title suggested, the contents were essentially reports of the regular meetings of the Society. Because of that, there was not much original scientific research though many of the members were conscientious observers and some enjoyed speculating on current theories. Corresponding members, who were often well-known astronomers from the United States or Britain, sometimes contributed papers which were read at meetings and then published. These tended to give the Transactions a place on the international stage.

—from Looking Up, by Peter Broughton.