Lack of widespread knowledge and experience

Differences in perception of the technique s maturity may originate from a simple lack of widespread knowledge about the approach. There are only a few short courses offered. Many students learn of it only as a side note in a physical chemistry textbook and never have hands-on training to use it. Laboratory-based Raman instrumentation is not as ubiquitously available for familiarization and casual experimentation as FTIR. While most vendors will arrange to do feasibility studies and preliminary trials with potential customers, these kinds of short experiments make it difficult for new users to build a solid familiarity with the technique. If a group has years of experience with NIR, it can be difficult to remember to re-examine Raman spectroscopy for each new project to see if it would be a better technical choice and ultimately easier to do. 

Ferraro, I.R. Nakamoto, K. Brown, C.W. Introductory Raman Spectroscopy, 2nd Edition Academic Press Boston, 2003. 

Nakamoto, K. Infrared and Raman Spectra of Inorganic and Coordination Compounds. Part A Theory and Applications in Inorganic Chemistry, 5th Edition Wiley-Interscience (John Wiley Sons, Inc.) New York, 1997. 

Theory of Raman Scattering. In Lewis, I.R. Edwards, H.G.M. (eds) Handbook of Raman Spectroscopy From the Research Laboratory to the Process Line-, 1st Edition Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, 2001 pp. 1-10. 

Gardiner, D.J. Introduction to Raman Scattering. In Gardiner, D.J. Graves, P.R. (eds) Practical Raman Spectroscopy, 1st Edition Springer-Verlag New York, 1989 pp. 1-12. 

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