本雜志發表了關于實驗、飼養和護理方法的報告和文章，這些方法明顯提高了農場、實驗室、野生動物/動物園環境中以及作為同伴的非人類動物的福利。JAAWS是美國防止虐待動物協會（ASPCA）和動物倫理治療心理學家（PSYETA）的聯合項目。每一期都包括幾份報告，涵蓋了科學實驗或演示，這些實驗或演示提供了與應用動物福利科學的主要問題有關的證據。所有提交的稿件都由一個部門編輯小組進行同行評審，該小組負責監督一個杰出的編輯委員會進行更全面的評審。JAAWS還出版了一些專題文章，這些文章對我們對動物福利的理解、新的經驗數據或對現有數據的重新評估、概念或理論分析做出了特別重要或具有煽動性的貢獻。這些專題文章附有幾篇受邀的評論，評論性地討論了這一貢獻，特別是關于它對動物福利的影響。

This journal publishes reports and articles on methods of experimentation, husbandry, and care that demonstrably enhance the welfare of non-human animals on farms, in laboratories, in wildlife/zoo settings, and as companions. JAAWS is a conjoint project of The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and Psychologists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PSYETA). Each issue includes several reports covering scientific experiments or demonstrations that present evidence relating to prime issues of applied animal welfare science. All submitted manuscripts are peer-reviewed by a panel of section editors who oversee an even more complete review by a distinguished board of editors. JAAWS also publishes feature articles that present particularly significant or provocative contributions to our understanding of animal welfare new empirical data or reevaluations of available data, or conceptual or theoretical analysis. These feature articles are accompanied by several invited commentaries that critically discuss the contribution--particularly in regard to its implications for animal welfare.