AbstractA brief discussion of the resonant magnetic scattering process is given. Results from recent studies of thin Fe films and Fe/Gd multilayers are used as examples to demonstrate the information can be obtained and the unique features of this technique: large resonant enhancement, sensitivity to magnitization, elemental specificity, and tunability of the penetration depth. Comparison is made with related techniques: magneto-optical Kerr effect, Faraday effect, and magnetic circular dichroism.