This special issue of Microscopy and Microanalysis explores
quantitative electron diffraction from nonbiological materials. Jim
Turner and I have put many hours of work into bringing it together, and
we thank the authors for their fine contributions. The articles cover a
wide range of materials and techniques, from convergent-beam electron
diffraction (CBED) to the new Kohler SAD mode, as well as the use of
direct methods, the study of diffuse elastic scattering from defects,
strain measurement, and multiwavelength methods. We were sorry that we
could not obtain recent work using the precession electron diffraction
camera by our deadline, but readers should be aware of that promising
method also.