Before 1965 all ICNAF documents had the designation "Meeting Documents", with no distinction between those presented for consideration at scientific meetings and those for consideration by commissioners. From 1965 to 1972, meeting documents were issued in two series, designated as "Commissioners' Documents" and "Research Documents".

Starting in 1973, a further subdivision occurred with the issue of the "Summary Documents" series, to which were assigned all mid-term reports of meetings of the Commission and of its committees, subcommittees and working groups, all research and statistical papers prepared by the ICNAF Secretariat, all national research reports, and reports of meetings of other organizations on matters relevant to ICNAF.