Many soft matter materials such as polymers, composites, and biomaterials derive their functional properties (mechanical, electrical, optical, transport) from specific structural characteristics that occur on the nanometer scale. X-ray scattering can be used to measure those structures and correlate them to functional properties. Determining structure from scattering patterns typically involves developing a realistic real-space model and then fitting a forward-simulated pattern with the experimental pattern. This research project pushes the frontiers of X-ray scattering experiment and analysis using new approaches. Aspects of particular interest are the use of polarized resonant soft X-rays for scattering, the use of highly coherent X-ray radiation for scattering, real-time insitu X-ray measurements of structure formation, and the integration of computational materials structure models as the basis for real-space model proposals.