Alfred Bogli, shown here in the Holloch cave system in 1980, was among the first speleologists to publish in the International Journal of Speleology (Vol. 1, 1964) with a paper on corrosion by mixing of different waters.

When it was founded, the International Journal of Speleology was divided into four sections: Botany-Microbiology, Zoology, Geology-Geomorphology and Abstract-News. After the first issue edited by G. Claus (USA) other two editors added: R. Husson (France) and G Nicholas (USA). Verlag von J. Kramer (Germany) printed the first two volumes; successively Swets & ZEITLINGER N.V. (The Netherlands) published it.

Since 1972 R. Husson became Editor-in -chief with Br. G. Nicholas as Book & News Editor and nine volumes were issued in the period 1964 to 1977 when the very high cost of printing requested a radical change.

In 1978 the IJS became the official journal of the Union International de Spéléologie and it was published in Italy where the printing cost was cheaper. R. Husson (Biospeleology), A.A. Cigna (Physical Speleology) and Br. G. Nicholas (Book & News) composed the Editorial Board.

In 1981 V. Sbordoni (Italy) became Editor-in-chief of the same Editorial Board which later included also F.Cucchi (Italy). In the meantime the Societŕ Speleologica Italiana acquired the property of the journal which was printed with a contribution of the Italian Ministry for Culture and Environment, the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche and the University of Trieste.

In the second half of the '90s also the Museo di Speleologia "V. Rivera" contributed to the financial support of the journal and E. Burri (Italy) succeeded to F. Cucchi as editor for physical speleology. The issues of the journal were alternatively dedicated to biospeleology and physical speleology until 1998 when it was agreed upon to split the journal into two different series: "A" for Biospeleology and "B" for Physical Speleology.

In addition to the regular issues of the journal, in 1996 a "Manual for karst water analysis" by W.E. Krawczyk was printed. Other handbook concerning special arguments will be published in the future.

Since 2003 the Biospeleological Section of the Journal is no longer published according a preference expressed by the people interested to this matter. Nevertheless the Journal is always open to any contribution concerning speleology at large, biology included.

Presently two referees chosen among the Advisory Board or other well-known specialists review the papers submitted for publication.