This volume investigates the current status, limitations, and methodologies surrounding the determination of cross-section data in atomic, molecular, and optical physics. Edited by Benjamin Bederson and Herbert Walther, the text compiles contributions from leading researchers to evaluate how experimental and theoretical data are generated and utilized. The work serves as a critical assessment of existing knowledge gaps and provides a framework for improving data quality and dissemination in the field.

Experts recognize this series as a standard reference for researchers requiring high-precision data in atomic and molecular physics. Readers frequently note the technical density of the prose, which is intended for an audience of professional physicists and graduate-level students.