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A rapid analytical technique has been developed for obtaining the reduced density function, G(r), from polycrystalline and amorphous thin films, using post-specimen scanning and an energy loss spectrometer on a transmission electron microscope. The technique gives on-line analysis of nearest-neighbour distances to an accuracy of 0.02 Å, together with coordination numbers. It has the advantage over X-ray and neutron techniques that the information can be obtained from small (≲ 1 μm diameter) chosen regions of the specimen. Results from neighbouring selected regions can be compared.