The "S" in the SAGE Publications logo likely represents the first letter of the company's name. The use of an ellipse around the "S" could represent a variety of things, such as a sense of unity or continuity, a focus on a specific area of study, or a connection between different branches of knowledge. Additionally, the ellipse shape could be a symbol of a global perspective, as an ellipse is a geometric shape, this could be a representation of precision and accuracy that is associated with the scientific and academic fields.