Quark models of baryon masses and decays

The application of quark models to the spectra and strong and electromagnet ic couplings of baryons is reviewed. This review focuses on calculations wh ich attempt a global description of the masses and decay properties of bary ons, although recent developments in applying large N-c QCD and lattice QCD to the baryon spectrum are described. After outlining the conventional one -gluon-exchange picture, models which consider extensions to this approach are contrasted with dynamical quark models based on Goldstone-boson exchang e and an algebraic collective-excitation approach. The spectra and electrom agnetic and strong couplings that result from these models are compared wit h the quantities extracted from the data and each other, and the impact of various model assumptions on these properties is emphasized. Prospects for the resolution of the important issues raised by these comparisons are disc ussed.