IEP tarjoaa tietoa kaikkien filosofian alojen keskeisistä aiheista ja ajattelijoista. Sitä julkaisee sen toimittajien v. 1995 muodostama voittoa tuottamaton organisaatio. IEP:tä päivitetään koko ajan. Artikkelien aiempia versiot arkistoidaan mm. viittauksien todentamista varten.
IEP is a non-profit organization run by the editors. It was founded in 1995 for the purpose of providing detailed, scholarly information on key topics and philosophers in all areas of philosophy. Unlike most printed philosophy reference works, the IEP is continually revised and updated. Earlier versions of articles are archived. Teachers and scholars with special needs -- such as authenticating quotations and detecting plagiarism -- may be provided copies of an earlier version of an article upon request.