Index cards were Terhune's primary method of research and record keeping. On these cards she would note subject ideas and often include brief passages summarizing pertinent readings and her own thoughts on the topic as well as related bibliographic references. Based on original tab headings, Terhune arranged the first set of cards first by chapter and then by subject within each chapter subgroup. The arrangement of topics does not always coincide with the book order and may therefore reflect the structure of Terhune's dissertation. The second subseries chronicles Hovenden's works of art. His paintings are arranged alphabetically by title, followed by drawings, related photographs and related works by other artists, such as his daughter Martha. The third subseries is also by various subjects, including people and reference sources in addition to topics. There is no discernible order. As the two subgorups within the next subseries indicates, Terhune added to the bibliography she originally prepared for her 1983 dissertation, identifying the latter as "1984." The final subseries consists of names and addresses of people and organizations pertinent to Terhune's work, and the set is identified here as "Rolodex."

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Terhune's research files offer documentary evidence and substantiation to a number of topics noted on her index cards. The "People" subseries consists of information about Hovenden, his family, and other figures who influenced his work, particularly contemporary artists and collectors. In addition to photocopying primary materials held at various institutions, Terhune apparently had access to materials held by Hovenden's descendants who continue to live in the Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania area, where the artist maintained his home. Photocopies of the artist's sketchbook, lecture notes and snapshots are identified as "attic" material. Terhune made an inventory of these materials, which also included 19th century catalogues and clippings. Terhune also conducted interviews at Plymouth Meeting, and made "miscellaneous" notes about the Corson family, which was the family of Hovenden's wife Helen. "African Americans" is one of the more extensive topics documented in the "Subjects" subseries and consists primarily of articles on their depiction in art. There is also a notebook in which Terhune made comments to a related exhibition at the Wadsworth Athenaeum as well as notes from her 1992 interview of, and later lecture by, Edmund Barry Gaither, director and curator of the Museum of National Center of Afro-American Artists. The subseries also includes a print-out of American art exhibitions prior to 1877 as well as photocopies of directories of 19th century galleries and other art institutions. Also of note is Terhune's demographic research based on 1880 censuses of Plymouth Meeting and Montgomery counties. Terhune's papers include photocopies of these documents as well as her analysis of the information. Most of the material in the "Works of Art" subseries consists of Terhune's correspondence with institutuions and private collectors owning works by Hovenden. Provenance, identification of the artist's models, and permission to publish are the issues most often documented. Photographs, notes and clippings are also included. "Writings" consist of clippings, original and photocopied, to which Terhune did not assign a specific topic. Included in the "Primary" sources are articles from the Philadelphia Press, Harper's Weekly and Harper's Magazine. "Secondary" sources include scholarly writings by Linda Ferber (1980), Lee M. Edwards (1987) as well as chapters from American Paintings in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Volumes II and III (1980, 1985) and New York Times clippings.

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In compiling images depicting Hovenden's career, life and influences, Terhune put together an album of copy prints, inserting explanatory notes to almost every image. In addition to Hovenden's works of art and that of other artists, there are also scenic photos of Brittany and Pont-Aven, the artist's home in Plymouth Meeting, costumed models, and photos of his daughter Martha in her studio and of her own sculptural works. Terhune also took her own photographs, for which there are contact prints and negatives. There are also a few folders of photographs Terhune acquired from other sources, including "extras" she decided not to use in her book. A meticulous notekeeper, Terhune recorded subjects, dates, and locations of images she photographed as well as those she saw elsewhere. Those notes are included here as are approximately 400 slides. Most of those images are identified on the slide itself, and there are also some index cards included in her photo notes as well as a list of slides of Hovenden paintings.

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The first subseries, which pertains to Terhune's disseration and book on Hovenden, consists of her proposals for each, segments of writing drafts, bibliographic notes and illustration lists. Her correspondence with the Barra Foundation regarding the publication of her book is included in the "Correspondence" series. The second subseries documents Terhune's involvment in the 1995 exhibition and related programs held at the Woodmere Art Museum to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Hovenden's death. Terhune advised in the selection of works for the exhibition and the accompanying catalogue. She also wrote one of the essays and led several tours of the exhibition. Documentation consists of correspondence, checklists, essay drafts and lecture notes. The final subseries documents "other projects," some of which were proposed by Terhune, but never realized. These include two Hovenden exhibitions and a research project about John Brown. Projects successfully completed include the slide lecture Terhune gave to the Plymouth Meeting Historical Society about her graduate work on Thomas Hovenden. She also was involved in the video recording of the lecture, particularly in obtaining the necessary permissions to reproduce the works of art she used in her presentation. Documentaiton consists of lecture notes, correspondence and forms. Touching upon Terhune's teaching career is a program, project description and biographical sketch produced for a faculty art show at Norwalk Community College. A research paper entitled "Wilderness in the American Landscape" documents her work as a graduate student.

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