The Production Files Series is the largest series in the Canadian Encyclopedia fonds. It encompasses the records of the Encyclopedia contributors and consultants, as well as subject and article information files, and the article lists and outlines. The material is textual in format and in very good physical shape. The contributor and consultant files are both arranged in their original order, which is alphabetical by sir-name. A separate listing is maintained of those individuals who refused participation in the Encyclopedia.
These files are arranged in alphabetical order by sir-name, and a smaller number according to the subject area they were asked to contribute to. Consultant and contributor affiliation and verification forms are maintained separately in alphabetic name order. The subject and article information files are arranged by editorial area (Arts, Humanities, Science and Technology, and Social Sciences) while the article lists are arranged alphabetically by subject area. As much as possible, original file order was maintained.
Series 7 is comprised of a large proportion of the Canadian Encyclopedia records. It has been arranged in the following four sub-series:
- 7.1 Contributor Files
- 7.2 Consultant Files
- 7.3 Editors' Subject and Article Information Files
- 7.4 Article Lists and Topic Breakdowns.
The Contributor files form the bulk of this series, and have been further described in seven sub-series arrangements:
- 7.1.1 Contributor lists
- 7.1.2 Individual Contributor Contract files
- 7.1.3 Contributor Affiliation and Name Confirmation files
- 7.1.4 Contributors: Potential and by Subject Area
- 7.1.5 Contributor: Correspondence and General Information
- 7.1.6 Contributor Refusals
- 7.1.7 Contributor Refusals by Subject Area.
The Consultant files (7.2), while less extensive than the contributor files, have also been arranged in similar sub-series:
- 7.2.1 Consultant Lists
- 7.2.2. Individual Consultant files
- 7.2.3. Consultants by Topic
- 7.2.4. Consultant Affiliation Forms and Verification Queries.
The third sub-series of Editors' Subject and Article Information files is arranged by editorial area including Arts, Humanities, Science and Technology, Social Sciences and Biography. The final sub-series consists of the Article Lists and Topic Breakdown files. The scope of this series is both broad and encompassing; separate files were maintained for every Encyclopedia contributor and consultant, with some individuals having several files depending on whether they were contributing or consulting about more than one article or topic. Individual files were also maintained for every individual approached by the Encyclopedia staff to contribute to the project, but for various reasons refused to participate.
The names of all of these individuals, contributors, consultants, and those listed as 'refusals' reads like a "Who's Who" of Canadian writers and thinkers. The subject and article information files along with the final article lists and topic breakdowns provide a view of the process involved in narrowing the selection of subjects able to be covered in the Encyclopedia series.
The series title is based on the content of the records.