Spectroscopic techniques are among the most developed and useful tools for investigating bulk polymers and polymer surfaces. The variety of sepectroscopic analyses possible is very broad, and includes IR, Raman, UV/vis, fluorescence, NMR, EPR, mass spectroscopy, XPS, EELS, electrical, mechanical and ultrasound. These methods can be used to study characteristics such as order and crystallinity, phase transitions, deformation and viscoelasticity, and also surface modification. All these topics as well as modern trends such as the application of electric fields and supercritical fluids, and in-line process monitoring, were discussed at the 14th European Symposium on Polymer Spectroscopy (ESOPS 14) held in Dresden, Germany in September 2001, and are presented in this volume of macromolecular Symposia.