Spin-polarized high-energy scattering of charged leptons on nucleons

The proton is a composite object with spin one-half, understood to contain highly relativistic spin one-half quarks exchanging spin-one gluons,each possibly with significant orbital angular momenta. While their fundamental interactions are well described by quantum chromodynamics (QCD), our standard theory of the strong interaction, non-perturbative calculations of the internal structure of the proton based directly on QCD are beginning to provide reliable results. Most of our present knowledge of the structure of the proton is based on experimental measurements interpreted within the rich framework of QCD. An area presently attracting intense interest, both experimental and theoretical, is the relationship between the spin of the proton and the spins and orbital angular momenta of its constituents. While remarkable progress has been made, especially in the last decade, the discovery and investigation of new concepts have revealed that much more remains to be learned. This progress is reviewed and an outlook for the future is offered.