The vast majority of the material relates to Dent's research and clinical interests and falls into four main categories: correspondence files; files created around the publication of papers; lecture notes and symposium papers; and case/research notes. There are also smaller quantities dealing with other aspects of his career, such as the administration of UCH Metabolic Ward. The papers thus reflect most of Dent's scientific and clinical interests. This research is mainly represented by the abstracted documentation which he kept with drafts of his published papers (see section E.1) and also by correspondence about cases and clinical case notes (see section C.5). To a lesser degree they also illustrate the work at the laboratory bench which underpinned much of this research. For example, a file of unidentified paper chromatograms has been preserved (C.2/10) to illustrate one of Dent's methods of working, as described by his colleague, Heathcote, and quoted in the Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 1978: 'Paper chromatograms were not to be thrown away. They were filed and, since the colours faded, the outline of each spot was drawn in and the intensity of the colour was indicated by a number.' The way in which Dent compiled a large series of files around drafts of scientific papers also illustrates the importance of the published paper to him as a stage in the research process. An incomplete collection of reprints of Dent's published papers may be found in section E.2 of the collection.

Papers of the Strangeways Research Laboratory, c 1901-1988, comprising papers of T S P Strangeways; annual reports including 1929-1950; minutes and correspondence of the Trustees, 1929-1971; account books and ledgers, 1929-1970; papers relating to funding from various bodies, 1929-1975; papers relating to Medical Research Council funding, c.1962-1969; papers relating to grants, c.1963-1970 and c.1967-1980; administrative records, 1931-1971; general correspondence, 1942-1947, 1954-1956, and 1965-1970; assorted files, 1930s-1960s; miscellaneous historical material including research by George Eric Howard Foxon; minutes of the Radium Commission, 1932-1943; and papers relating to C F Robinow, E M Brieger and Michael Abercrombie.

South-Western Polytechnic, Chelsea Polytechnic, Chelsea College of Science and Technology, and Chelsea College Prospectuses, Handbooks and other Publications, 1895-1985. This class of material forms the most readily accessible source of information on the academic and other historical development of the College from its inception until the merger with King's and Queen Elizabeth College in 1985, and notably contains sets of general undergraduate prospectuses for Chelsea courses, 1895-1985, and of general postgraduate syllabuses, 1967-1985; prospectuses for specific undergraduate and postgraduate component courses of study including physics, chemistry, electronics, pharmacy and science education, 1962-1985 (Ref: C/SYL); student information brochures including information on courses, facilities, regulations, Library readers' guides and other academic services handbooks and College histories, 1932-1996 (Ref: C/HAN, C/PUB); Student Union handbooks and related publications such as activities booklets and Union constitution, 1959-1984 (Ref: CU/HAN, CSU/REG, CSU/F); Annual Reports summarising College business, including departmental summaries, finances, academic awards, appointments and retirements and notable events, with statistics and some higher degree and professional examination results in reports prior to the incorporation of the College into the University of London, 1896-1983; a collection of ad hoc reports addressing specific issues concerning Chelsea such as the evolution of the Higher Education sector in the United Kingdom, reports on scientific expeditions to the Azores, Arctic and other locations, and progress reports on research projects undertaken at Chelsea, 1909-1983 (Ref: C/RPT); College rules and regulations including financial regulations, 1967-1982 (Ref: C/REG).

Papers of Professor Jean Hanson, 1938-1975, comprising undergraduate lecture notes; drafts for lectures, revised annually, for undergraduate teaching in zoology at Bedford College, 1938-1948; lectures in Biophysics given at King's College London, 1960-1973; research papers, comprising extensive laboratory notebooks and working papers, 1938-1973, which include ideas for research and comments on current and projected experiments as well as records and observations of work in progress; reports on the work of the Muscle Biophysics Unit; drafts for publications, 1950-1973; unpublished invitation lectures and talks, 1956-1973; scientific correspondence, 1956-1973, including letters exchanged with colleagues whilst at conferences or abroad, detailing research progress; 'Emmeline Jean Hanson' by Sir John Randall, reprinted from Biographical memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, Vol 21, Nov 1975.

Papers relating to the North London Kinship Survey, mainly research material, including notes from the census, probate records and published sources; notes of interviews with residents; family trees and notes on the history of certain families; maps of the area; index cards for individuals and families, [1950-1964]. Also correspondence, drafts and meeting reports relating to the survey.

Records, 1902-1977 and undated, of and accumulated by the Restatement of African Law Project (RALP), School of Oriental and African Studies, comprising papers of RALP relating to administration, including minutes; and research material, such as notes, publications, theses, and other collected papers, on tribes and places including Basutoland (Lesotho), Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Nigeria, Northern Rhodesia and Zambia, Sierra Leone, the Sudan, Tanganyika, Zanzibar and Tanzania, and Uganda, relating to customs, aspects of law including succession, slavery, marriage and divorce, land tenure, legal systems, including customary law, legislation, courts, and particular legal cases.

Papers of survey of growth in the pre-school child in England and Wales, 1977, comprise original research data concerning the health and growth of children. The collection comprises data entry forms, dated 1977, used to collate data gathered from a sample of pre-school children in England and Wales. These questionnaires are all labelled 'part IV' and therefore possibly constitute a sample of the original research data collated.

The papers of Hugh Davson comprise correspondence, working papers and printed reports, 1950-1988; including correspondence with the Medical Research Council, notably project applications and progress reports, 1951-1978; concerning Davson's publications, with reviews, 1962-1978; with the Wellcome Trust, 1974-1980; descriptions of recent research on the eye, 1970-1978; correspondence between Davson and colleagues in the United Kingdom, Europe and North America, mainly on administrative and publishing matters, including grant applications, conference organisation and reviews of new articles and books, 1958-1980.

Records comprise papers of the Aeronautics Department of Imperial College, including notes on the department by Professor William Ernest Dalby, 1916, and Professor G Jackson, 1957; papers of the Aeronautics Committee and Advisory Committee on aeronautical education, 1909-1934; foundation of the Zaharoff Chair of Aviation, 1916-1923; correspondence of Professor Sir Richard Glazebrook, 1907-1923, Professor Sir Leonard Bairstow, 1920-1949, Professors Hall and Squire, 1945-1957; Rectors' correspondence, 1950-1981; research projects and reports, 1973- 1974; opening of the Donald Campbell Memorial laboratory, 1980-1981 (KA);
papers of the Meteorology Department, including a departmental history from 1920-1952, 1966; correspondence of Professor Sir Napier Shaw, 1920-1924; Professors Sir Gilbert Walker and Sir David Brunt, 1924-1935; the Rector Sir Patrick Linstead, 1955-1966; correspondence concerning the proposed Institute of Meteorology, 1937-1939, 1948; future of the department, 1968-1974 (KAM);
papers of the Physiological Flow Studies Unit, including reports, 1966; opening of the Charles Hayward Research Laboratory, 1976; papers relating to the Hayward foundation, 1973-1987; correspondence of the Rector concerning grants, 1966-1979; setting up and organisation of the unit, 1965-1979; association with the Aeronautics Department, 1967-1979; conferences (KAP);
press cuttings relating to the Centre for Biological and Medical Systems (KAPA).

Transcripts of interviews for Dr Mark Exworthy's project 'Understanding health variations and policy variations', 1999-2001, comprising copies of in-depth interviews with key stakeholders undertaken in stage 3 of the project, to examine the policy process in three diverse areas ('rural', 'urban', and 'mixed', ie suburban), and some contextual material.

Papers relating to an Economic and Social Research Council funded project to index fire insurance policies of the Sun and the Royal Exchange, including copies of the indexes.

Correspondence, reports and minutes generated by Royal College of General Pracitioners Research Units: A RE A Birmingham Research Unit; A RE B Scottish General Practitioner Research Support Unit; A RE C Manchester Research Unit.

Papers of Dr. W. O. Williams comprising:

B WO A Williams committee papers 1966-1971
Records relating to Dr. W. O. Williams' membership of the Research Committee and the Academic Review Committee of the Royal College of General Practitioners. B WO B Williams Research Unit papers 1972-1988
Records relating to Dr. W. O. Williams' involvement with the Epidemic Observation Unit and the Swansea Research Unit of the Royal College of General Practitioners.B WO C Williams research and publications 1954-1988
Records relating to Dr. W. O. Williams' research projects and publications, includes bornholm disease, whooping cough, death certification, genetic cancer and doctors' workload. B WO D Williams miscellaneous papers.

Papers of Professor Colin Cherry, [1928]-1981, comprising biographical papers, 1935-1981, notably index of reports on experiments at Northampton Polytechnic, 1935-1936; press cuttings, 1961-1974;
work diaries, 1962-1977; scientific notes and diagrams, [1928]-1950, mainly relating to elastic field analogies, periodic structures, transformers, electric and magnetic circuits;
papers whilst with Imperial College Electrical Engineering Department, 1953-1977, comprising papers relating to lectures, tutorials, seminars, symposiums, minutes and correspondence relating to an undergraduate group project scheme; papers relating to postgraduate lectures, 1950-1979, notably concerning circuit theory, communication; correspondence with staff, lectures for the London School of Economics, and Imperial College groups, 1951-1978; correspondence and reports relating to research projects and grants in the Communications Section, 1949-1977, including for stammering, communication developments and population, telephone services; research papers and notes of students, 1968-1978, correspondence with students, 1947-1971, concerning higher degrees, 1957-1967; correspondence and papers, largely concerning outside lectures, conferences and visits, 1948-1979, with professional, technical and educational institutions, societies, clubs, publishers, companies and some individuals; correspondence with the Institution of Electrical Engineers, 1946-1976, including notes and scripts;
unpublished papers, 1952-1962; correspondence relating to book publications, 1952-1978; published scientific papers and articles, 1940-1977; typescript of chapters of The Age of Access: Information Technology and Social Revolution , correspondence with the publishers, 1978-1979; recordings of talks and lectures, 1963-1976.

Records of the Department of Electrical Engineering of Imperial College, 1891-1980, including a departmental history from 1884-1963, press cuttings; papers relating to postgraduate courses, 1953-1972; laboratory work, including instruction sheets, 1930-1959; notes by Professor Cecil Lewis Fortescue, 1923; reports by students, 1891-1927; students' lecture notes and files, 1958-1960; correspondence with the administration department, 1908-1941, 1958-1969; correspondence concerning a Readership in Electronics, 1948-1959; Readership and bursaries in Electric Traction, 1956-1967; papers relating to projects, 1968, 1978; course syllabus, 1964-1970; Lucas fund, 1962-1970; reports of working parties, 1979-1980; examination papers, 1953-1970; departmental correspondence of Professor Arnold Tustin, 1951-1961, including research projects, research grants; papers relating to Engineering in Medicine, comprising Leverhulme Trust Fund bursaries, 1962-1967.

The papers include laboratory notebooks dealing with Bawden's research on various plant viruses, and in particular his collaborative work with N.W. Pirie and with A.A.P. Kleczkowski. There is also a detailed exchange of correspondence with Pirie on research in progress, 1937-1940. (Pirie moved to Rothamsted as Virus Physiologist in 1940 when Bawden became Head of the Plant Physiology Department.) There is a wide range of correspondence, with individuals and institutions. It deals with scientific research and problems including viral nomenclature, lectures, conferences, publications, Bawden's reports on research projects, grant applications and appointments. The correspondence relating to Bawden's overseas visits as adviser or lecturer is mainly after 1958 and is sometimes accompanied by Bawden's reports.