Barbara Stuart  (BSc(Hons), MSc(Syd), PhD(Lond), DIC, MRSC, MRACI, Cchem) After graduating with a BSc degree from the University of Sydney in Australia, Barbara Stuart worked as a tutor at this university. She also carried out research in the field of biophysical chemistry in the Department of Physical Chemistry and graduated with a MSc in 1990. The author moved to the UK to carry out doctoral studies in polymer engineering within the Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Technology at Imperial College (University of London). After obtaining her PhD in 1993, she took up a position as Lecturer in Physical Chemistry at the University of Greenwich in London. Barbara joined the staff at the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia in 1995, where she is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, Materials and Forensic Science. She is presently conducting research in the fields of polymer spectroscopy, materials conservation and forensic science. Barbara is the author of three other books published by John Wiley and Sons, "Modern Infrared Spectroscopy" and "Biological Applications of Infrared Spectroscopy", both in the ACOL series of open learning texts, and "Polymer Analysis" and “Infrared Spectroscopy: Fundamentals and Applications” in the current ANTS series of texts.