Subseries contains materials relating to Dr. Ainley's research on women in the fields of science and engineering. Ainley dedicated much of her career to this topic, which resulted in a number of publications. Subseries includes material relating to the submission and editing of Ainley's chapter, "Marriage and Scientific Work in Twentieth-Century Canada: the Berkeleys in Marine Biology and the Hoggs in Astronomy" in "Creative Couples in the Sciences" about the experiences of two scientific couples: Edith and Cyril Berkeley and Frank and Helen Hogg. Materials for this publication include correspondence, edited manuscripts, permissions form templates and a call and instructions for submissions. This subseries also includes research material for a review of Margaret Gillett and Ann Beer's book, "Our Own Agendas: Autobiographical Essays by Women Associated with McGill University," including notes, correspondence and short biographies of women from McGill University. Subseries also contains research on Canadian women in science including photocopied archival materials from various Canadian universities. This subseries also contains materials relating to Ainley's book, "Creating complicated lives: women and science at English-Canadian universities, 1880-1980" and Ainley's chapter, "Soaring to New Heights: Changes in the Life Course of Mabel McIntosh" in "Great Danes." Subseries consists of research relating to women in the Royal Society of Canada and on individual women scientists and engineers. Research materials consist of photocopies of published and archival research materials, correspondence, and applications for grans and ethics reviews. This subseries also contains approximately 80 overhead transparencies from presentations.
Subseries contains material relating to an uncompleted book of correspondence between Louise de Kiriline Lawrence and Doris Huestis Speirs, tentatively titled, "A Special Affinity: The Correspondence of Louise de Kiriline Lawrence and Doris Huestis Speirs." It was to be co-edited Ainley and John Sabean. The subseries predominately consists of research material and correspondence relating to the writing and publishing of the book, correspondence between Lawrence and Speirs, and correspondence between Ainley and Speirs relating to travel and ornithology publication recommendations. It also contains archival reproductions of correspondence between Speirs and Roy Ivor and between Speirs and George Watson.
Subseries reflects Dr. Ainley's extensive research on indigenous science and traditional knowledge and how it transferred to European settlers in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Much of this research culminated in Dr. Ainley's unfinished monograph project "Re-explorations: new perspectives on gender, environment and the transfer of knowledge in 19th and 20th century Canada and Australia." Material is, predominately, arranged by individual, with files largely consisting of bibliographies, articles and notes about and by the individual on topics related to the environment and interaction with indigenous peoples. Subseries also contains research notes, interviews, and correspondence. As much of Ainley's research focused on women, see subseries on women in science and engineering research (2002.14.1.5) for related materials.