A survey of observational evidence related to current and past starbursts in galaxies with a variety of properties—blue
compact dwarfs, nuclear and extranuclear disk galaxy starbursts, interacting and barred galaxies, large clumpy irregulars,
normal ellipticals, galaxies at moderate redshift, and normal isolated spirals and irregulars—is presented. After a review of
general results inferred from colors, far infrared emission, and multiwavelength studies, a number of constraints derived from
studies of samples of interacting galaxies are discussed. It is emphasized that the majority of starbursts may not involve
interactions or bars, and a signifícant fraction are extranuclear. It is suggested that the statistics and varieties of starburst galaxies, the range in current star formation rates per unit area or mass at a given morphological type, the mean and dispersion
in gas depletion timescales and recent-to-past average star formation rate ratios, and the existence of red yet H I-rich spiral
galaxies can be understood if sporadic star formation is a major mode of evolution in "normal" galaxies. Direct support for this
suggestion is provided by three independent estimates of the star formation history of the Milky Way.