Technical Abstract: Phenolic acids are aromatic secondary plant metabolites, widely spread through out the plant kingdom. These compounds are a subclass of a larger category referred to as `phenolics¿- a term which describes approximately 8000 naturally occurring compounds all of which possess one common structural feature: an aromatic ring bearing at least one hydroxyl substituent. Existing analytical measurements systems for phenolic acids originated from interest in their biological roles as secondary metabolites, markers for taxonomic studies and for their roles in food quality and organleptic properties. Recent interest in phenolic acids stems from their potential protective role - through ingestion of fruits and vegetables - against oxidative damage diseases (coronary heart disease, stroke and cancers). High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) as well as Gas Chromatography (GC) are the two separation techniques reviewed. The varied sample preparation steps, including, extraction from plant materials and hydrolysis (acidic, basic and enzymatic) are summarized and discussed as are the derivatization reagents, used in sample preparation for GC. Detection systems discussed include UV-Vis spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, electrochemical and fluorometric detection. The most common tandem techniques are HPLC-UV and GC/MS yet LC/MS is becoming more common. The masses and fragmentation patterns of phenolic acids are discussed and tabulated as are the absorption maxima.