This issue of Metallography, Microstructure, and Analysis (MMA) includes four papers based on presentations organized by the International Metallographic Society (IMS) at the Microscopy & Microanalysis 2013 Annual Meeting, held August 4–8, 2013, in Indianapolis, Indiana. These presentations were part of the session “Microstructural Characterization of Metals—150 Years After Sorby.” The session chairs were James E. Martinez, NASA Johnson Space Center, and George F. Vander Voort, Consultant-Struers Inc. The authors were invited to submit expanded versions of their conference papers for full peer review and publication in MMA.

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James E. Martinez

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Ryan M. Deacon

I would like to thank all the authors and reviewers for their efforts in the review process. I would especially like to recognize and thank James Martinez, who served as guest editor for these papers.

These papers detail new research in different areas, but all make use of advanced material analysis or preparation techniques, including electron backscattered diffraction, Auger microscopy, diffraction analysis, and ion beam milling. Together these papers illustrate how far the field of microstructural analysis has advanced in the 150 years since the pioneering work of Henry Sorby.

The publication of papers from leading technical conferences promotes further dissemination of knowledge and expands the reach of the authors’ work. I hope that the publication of these papers in MMA will allow our readership to build upon the results presented therein and to develop new ideas and approaches for the analysis of microstructures.