Charge transfer inverse photoemission spectroscopy (CTRIPS), the phenomenon of inverse photoemission at a metal-solution interface, has been the subject of a variety of experiments. An approximate theoretical model is presented which includes (1) the electronic structure of the metal; (2) the principal features of the emission spectra, such as the high and low frequency thresholds at a given injection energy of the electron or hole, and the intensity of the light emission versus electrode potential; (3) the role of surface states; and (4) the question of direct versus indirect radiative transitions. A broad array of experiments from different groups is surveyed and treated. There is a considerable need for experiments to fill many missing "gaps" in the data, and various experiments are suggested. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.