  I review efforts to determine the form and any lower limit to the initial
mass function in the Galactic disk, using observations of low-mass stars and
brown dwarfs in the field, young clusters and star forming regions. I focus on
the methodologies that have been used and the uncertainties that exist due to
observational limitations and to systematic uncertainties in calibrations and
theoretical models. I conclude that whilst it is possible that the low-mass
IMFs deduced from the field and most young clusters are similar, there are too
many problems to be sure; there are examples of low-mass cluster IMFs that
appear to be very discrepant and the IMFs for brown dwarfs in the field and
young clusters have yet to be reconciled convincingly.
