Laboratory search for time variation in the fine structure constant

Laboratory methods for detecting possible time variation in the fine structure constant are reviewed. Such methods provide a large amount of controllability while at the same time approaching astrophysical tests in terms of sensitivity to the linear drift. Modern high-precision spectroscopic experiments involving atomic transition frequency measurements against the primary ${}^{133}\mathrm{Cs}$ standard are reviewed. Combining results from different laboratory spectroscopic measurements allows contributions from the electromagnetic and strong interactions to be disentangled.