A review of known characteristics, experimental and numerical techniques, and research directions of large scale coherent structures in perturbed and unperturbed jets is presented. Attention is given to structures caused by controlled excitations, the relationship between artificially induced and natural structures, and the effects of initial and boundary conditions on structures. Studies of the coherent structures in a jet near field are explored, together with distortions described by the Taylor hypothesis, the application of the hypothesis to turbulent shear, and the dependence of the most probable coherent structure on the Reynolds number and initial conditions. Additional examination is made of jet near and far fields in the absence of excitation. It is suggested that the predominance of coherent structures in fully developed flows is probably exaggerated.