The fonds consists of four primary series: Michel Butor research files, Jeanne Hyvrard research files, French feminist writings research files, and French lesbian novels research files. The Butor series consists of correspondence, research files, works of Waelti-Walters, and reference material such as articles and clippings. The Hyvrard series consists of Hyvrard manuscripts, correspondence, research files, literary criticism and translations of Hyvrard. The feminist writings and the French lesbian novels series consist of drafts, primary sources, secondary sources, research notes, correspondence, and bibliographies. All the series contains some teaching files and reference material.

The fonds consists of Sewell's correspondence, lecture notes, teaching materials, work as a Ph.D. student, drafts of papers, articles, and reports, published materials, collected research materials and unpublished academic papers, as well as personal documents including his curriculum vitae.

W.R. Derrick Sewell's research focused on topics of water sources, water management, environmental science, geography, renewable energy and water problems/crises, both in Canada and around the world. This is reflected in his publications and papers, as well as in the maps he collected.