The correspondence of Series I consists primarily of letters related to various aspects of Edwards' professional activities in China. There are letters of a more personal nature from the period following his retirement, but virtually no family correspondence. The addresses, articles, and reports of Series II reflect the spectrum of Edwards' interests. Edwards' analyses of the political and religious situation in China include well-informed descriptions of the tumultuous events that occurred between 1906 and 1949. A small number of papers deal specifically with the anti-Christian movement in China in the early 1920s.
Writings related to famine relief include detailed on-site reports and broader overviews.
Many annual reports written by Edwards are included in this section. Series III includes notes and drafts used in the preparation of Edwards' book, Yenching University . Correspondence related to Edwards' efforts to gather information and advice for this historical work is found in Series I. Edwards' notes in Series IV relate to many of the same topics as his writings but are more fragmentary in nature. Of particular interest are detailed notes describing Edwards' work among Chinese laborers in France during World War I. Series V contains primarily printed or typescript material related to various organizations and topics. Little of this material is rare or unique, but it is of value for defining the context of Edwards' work.