Surface science insight note: Charge compensation and charge correction in X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Strategies to deal with sample charging effects on X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra are presented. These strategies combine charge compensation (or lack of) via a flow of electrons and an electrical connection (or lack of) of samples to the ground. Practical examples involving samples with a range of different electrical properties, sample structure/composition and sensitivity to X-rays, illustrate the correlation between sample properties, measurement strategies, and the resulting XPS data. The most appropriate measurement strategy for a particular sample is also recommended. We highlight the crucial importance of appropriate XPS data acquisition to obtain a correct data interpretation.