  An overview of the experimental aspects of nucleon transfer reactions with
radioactive beams is presented, aimed principally at a researcher who is
beginning their work in this area. Whilst the physics motivation and the means
of theoretical interpretation are briefly described, the emphasis is on the
experimental techniques and the quantities that can be measured. General
features of the reactions which affect experimental design are highlighted and
explained. A range of experimental choices for performing the experiments is
described, and the reasons for making the different choices are rationalised
and discussed. It is often useful to detect gamma-rays from electromagnetic
transitions in the final nucleus, both to improve the precision and resolution
of the excitation energy measurements and to assist in the identification of
the observed levels. Several aspects related to gamma-ray detection and angular
correlations are therefore included. The emphasis is on single-nucleon transfer
reactions, and mostly on (d,p) transfer to produce nuclei that are more
neutron-rich, but there are also brief discussions of other types of transfer
reactions induced by both light ions and heavy ions.
