In the spring of 1985, when this symposium was first planned, the use of a microscope as an accessory in a Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer was still somewhat a new concept. The symposium was planned as a means of introducing many people to this new technique. The day long symposium, which was part of the 1985 Federation of Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy Societies (FACSS) meeting, consisted of papers which covered design considerations, sample handling, and applications to such areas as fibers and polymers.