Journal of Geology

Early on Chamberlin worked to establish a new scholarly publication. In an editorial in the first issue of the Journal of Geology, Chamberlin says that this publication should be a "journal whose special efforts shall be devoted to promoting the growth of systematic, philosophical and fundamental geology, and to the education of professional geologists."

Chamberlin was cognizant of the danger of the Journal becoming just a house organ and goes on to state: "It is our desire to open the pages of the journal as broadly as a due regard for merit will permit, and to free it as much as possible from local and institutional aspects." Indeed, the first volume of the Journal included contributions from a number of eminent geologists around the country, including Charles D. Walcott, William H. Hobbs, and Joseph P. Iddings.