PROL is a pre-print server that serves as the common resource for all emerging scholarship in political science. It draws on efforts of individual scholars to advance their own work in early stages for comment and potential partnering, on the vast number of conference papers relevant to the field prepared across the discipline in the many political science and in cognate disciplines, and on political science papers that are increasingly available through center and institute web servers and not readily identifiable generally in the field.

Political Research Online is a guided by a consortium of associations made up of : the International Studies Association, Midwest Political Science Association, New England Political Science Association, Northestern Political Science Association, Political Studies Association (UK), Southwestern Political Science Association, Southern Political Science Association, and Western Political Science Association.