where can i find out how to examine microstructure

[jamesabc]

i have some specimens that i need to examine for a project and this involves trying to understand the microstructure of some materials under the microscope. is there some guide that tells you what the basic properties of microstructures are?

[a_jop_rika]

Do you mean something like fractography? Examine the surfaces of the materials and trying to find out special characteristics etc?
If that is so, one of the good basics reading is a pdf file by ASM International:
http://www.asminternational.org/pdf/Fract_PFA.pdf
If you go through fractography-related book you will know a lot about structure of a surface.