A connector’s ability to stand up to environmental stresses, such as shock and vibration, depends heavily on the quality of its contacts. Additionally, the trend toward miniaturization across many applications is requiring connector contacts to maintain high levels of performance in a smaller footprint. This Connector Specifier editorial guide examines the important role that contacts play in resisting shock/vibration-induced degradation and discusses the technological development of contacts as connectors miniaturize. The guide looks at medical and aerospace applications as examples of shock/ vibration resistance, and includes articles on nano and MEMS connector development.