The fonds consists of manuscripts of Topping's articles and reports in the fields of sociology and criminology; drafts of his stories and poetry; examples of questionnaires and other material from his research projects; and scrapbooks and other autobiographical materials. The records include manuscripts, correspondence, forms, and clippings and other published materials.

Fonds contains five series: Correspondence, Notes, and Reports (1947-1976); Indigenous Peoples of BC Research (1954-1967); Doukhobors (1948-1954); Northern Development Research (1972); Harry Hawthorn Project (19--); and Audio (1971) series.