The General Files Subseries documents portions of the administrative functions of the Council. It includes subject files on various administrative matters, including rules and policies of the Council, relations with other organizations (including the Royal Institute of International Affairs, the Council's parallel organization in London), fundraising, and records on legal issues such as breaches of confidentiality, as well as attacks on and critiques of the Council. Other information included in this subseries documents anniversary planning and the history of the Harold Pratt House, the Council's New York headquarters. This subseries includes some significant documents from the Council's formative years, such as documents on the "Anglo-American Institute of Foreign Affairs," and information on the merger between its American branch and the existing Council on Foreign Relations (and materials from that earlier body); early drafts of a charter and statements of purpose, early correspondence, meeting minutes and membership lists; and documents on the development of the Foreign Affairs journal.

The Library and Archives Subseries documents the formation and continuance of the Library and Archives of the Council on Foreign Relations. Subject files include incorporation, annual reports, the history and development of the Library, and information on gifts, fundraising, continuation of the program and committees working towards the improvement of the Library and Archives.

The Administration Subseries details the administrative work necessary to support the Study Groups of the Council. Subject files include records relating to programming, budget, staff files, and Studies Administration and Staff meeting records. The Miscellaneous files at the end of this subseries contain mainly memos and correspondence from the Study Group administration, but also lists, booklets, papers, and reports.

The Records of Groups Subseries consists of the records of a wide-ranging run of study groups formed to discuss policy with regards to American interests in regions and specific nations around the globe. Topics include labor relations, military build-up, trade negotiations, and technological (and corresponding social) advances. Material within the Records of Groups Subseries documents the progress and output of the groups themselves as they studied topics of international importance.

The Staffing Subseries includes the records of several leaders in the Studies Department, notably the files of William Diebold, including his correspondence, subject files, writings and lectures, and information on relations with other organizations. Diebold was the overseer of the Council's library for many years, as well as a research fellow and the director of Economic Studies in the early 1940s; he was a mainstay on the economics study group and a senior fellow emeritus. The Staffing Subseries also contains the correspondence of John Campbell, the director of Political Studies from 1955-1962, a senior research fellow from 1962-1978, and the Director of Studies from 1977-1978. Also included in this subseries are papers of the some Council Fellows and heads of study programs or projects.

The Administration Subseries includes the subject files on the administration of the Council's Meetings. Records include Annual Reports, attendance records, information on lecture series and correspondence with members. This subseries also includes the records of Margaret Osmer-McQuade, the director of Meetings from 1979-1993.

The Records of Meetings Subseries is divided into two sections: volumes which are indexed from 1920 through 1973 and unindexed meeting records. This subseries also includes records of cancelled meetings. The actual records of the Council's meetings include invitations to the meetings, attendance lists, correspondence, (including letters between the Executive Director of the Council on Foreign Relations and potential speakers), background material on the speakers and the topics, a digest of the meeting (in early meeting records, transcripts are available; some later meeting records include evaluations), and miscellaneous materials relating to the meeting. Recordings of a portion of the meetings from the early 1950s through the late 1980s are present in the Sound Recordings Series.

Material within the Volumes Subseries include correspondence about the conferences, background reading, notes, agendas, papers and reports. Each conference was organized along individual lines, and thus different records and information may be present for each conference.

The Conference Records Subseries is composed of mainly post-1970 records of Council Conferences. Materials consist of correspondence about the planning of conferences, information about speakers and their prepared papers, schedules and agendas for conferences and budget information as well as background papers, summary reports, post-conference papers, articles, and other correspondence. Published booklets on the proceedings of three early conferences that pre-date the Volumes of Subseries 5A are also included in this subseries.