Data from over 200 reports from the English literature on fretting corrosion were summarized for ready reference--for engineers who must consider its effect in designing mechanical and electrical devices and for scientists who may wish to investigate the underlying mechanism. The actual wear, frictional changes, variations in electrical resistances and electrical noise, and fatigue due to fretting are described to acquaint the designer with difficulties to be anticipated from this problem. Factors affecting fretting, its effect on the fatigue strength of materials and methods of preventing it are discussed. The main theories that have been proposed to explain fretting corrosion and test methods that have been used to study it are reviewed. (Author).