A wizard source of expertise in XPS

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy has been in use for the study of materials for 30 years and with considerable success. In retrospect, however, it is clear that the many insights arising from work undertaken in the initial decade (the 1970s) are not well known to new users of the technique. Many of the simpler aids to interpretation, e.g. the use of shake-up satellites, have stood the test of time and of more recent theoretical explanation and could easily be made available through help routines incorporated into the data system. Examples are given of the manner in which the help could be accessed by way of a screen 'wizard', which might also provide a stepping stone to the development of a full expert system. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.