SEG is a systematic collection of Greek inscriptions (which are presented with original critical apparatuses) and neutral summaries of new research into Greek inscriptions, which had been published in a certain year. There is some exception to this, as a small number of texts every volume are transcribed from photographs that have been made available, despite the fact they remain unpublished. All Greek inscriptions are transcribed according to the
Leiden Conventions. Any entry for an inscription in a volume of
SEG is included with three components: the editorial component, which presents the Greek inscription's text alongside critical apparatuses and summaries of interpretations; the bibliographic component, which consists of a
bibliography of relevant articles, monographs and other publications; the epigraphic or thematic component, which is a collection of metadata on the inscription, including its provenance (date, place), language, purpose, and its type (public documents, dedications, epitaphs, miscellaneous). These texts are arranged geographically, as per the order of
Inscriptiones Graecae (from Attica (IG 1) to Sicily-Italy (IG XIV), subdivided into alphabetically arranged cities), and after that by date. Inscriptions of an unknown provenance are included separately from the others. At the end of the volumes, there are large indices for the topics of and entries on the inscriptions. These are subdivided into: Names, Kings, Emperors, Geography, Religion, Military, Greek and Latin Terms, and Selected Topics. ==History==