Accurate Stellar Parameters for Radial Velocity Surveys

The radial velocity (RV) method has provided a large and increasing number of planets orbiting other suns. Together with the successes of ground- and space-based photometry, RVs allow us to routinely characterize in unique detail thousands of exoplanets. In this chapter, we address some of the main challenges and limitations of the RV method, specially those connected with the properties of the planet host stars. However, we also show that the study of stars with planets, specially those detected or characterized through RVs, is providing unique information about the processes of planet formation, evolution, and composition. Finally, the bright future of this method is highlighted.