[en] Methods of laser optical pumping suitable for producing polarized nuclei for targets in nuclear structure physics experiments have been developed in the past few years. Theory and experiment are most advanced for the alkalis though many of the results obtained are more generally applicable. In any case the alkalis are important for several specific experiments, and spin exchange with polarized alkali atoms has been proposed as a general method for the production of polarized nuclei of any Z. Polarization of atomic nuclei by means of optical pumping effects was considered shortly after the initial work of Kastler. We have developed a technique in which efficient optical pumping with complete Doppler coverage is achieved by means of velocity changing collisions induced by trace amounts of buffer gas. These collisions also decrease the rate at which optically pumped atoms reach the walls, and hence increase the average laser-atom interaction time. Schematically, atoms are rapidly pumped when at the resonant velocity, and because the velocity changing collision rate is high, every atom will pass through the resonant velocity during its diffusion through the laser beam