A method of automatically identifying and characterizing spectral peaks of a spectrum generated by a chromatography / mass spectrometry apparatus wherein the spectrum includes ion abundance data in terms of the variables of time and mass-to-charge ratio, said method including the steps of (a) receiving a portion of the spectrum generated by the chromatography / mass spectrometry apparatus; (b) automatically subtracting a baseline from the portion of the spectrum so as to generate a baseline-corrected spectrum portion; (c) automatically determining whether at least a first spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion; (d) if a first spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, automatically determining location coordinates of the first spectral peak in terms of the time and mass-to-charge-ratio variables; and (e) if the first spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, reporting to a user or recording to electronic data storage location coordinates of the first spectral peak of the spectrum portion, the method characterized by: if, in step (d), the first spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, then performing the steps of: automatically removing the first spectral peak from the baseline-corrected spectrum portion and automatically determining whether a second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion; if the second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, dividing the baseline-corrected spectrum portion into at least two spectrum sub-portions; if the second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, automatically determining, for each of the spectrum sub-portions, whether at least one spectral peak occurs in the respective sub-portion; and if the second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, automatically determining, for any and all spectrum sub-portions in which at least one spectral peak occurs, location coordinates of said at least one spectral peak in terms of the time and mass-to-charge-ratio variables. if, in step (d), the first spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, then performing the steps of: automatically removing the first spectral peak from the baseline-corrected spectrum portion and automatically determining whether a second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion; if the second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, dividing the baseline-corrected spectrum portion into at least two spectrum sub-portions; if the second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, automatically determining, for each of the spectrum sub-portions, whether at least one spectral peak occurs in the respective sub-portion; and if the second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, automatically determining, for any and all spectrum sub-portions in which at least one spectral peak occurs, location coordinates of said at least one spectral peak in terms of the time and mass-to-charge-ratio variables. automatically removing the first spectral peak from the baseline-corrected spectrum portion and automatically determining whether a second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion; if the second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, dividing the baseline-corrected spectrum portion into at least two spectrum sub-portions; if the second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, automatically determining, for each of the spectrum sub-portions, whether at least one spectral peak occurs in the respective sub-portion; and if the second spectral peak occurs in the baseline-corrected spectrum portion, automatically determining, for any and all spectrum sub-portions in which at least one spectral peak occurs, location coordinates of said at least one spectral peak in terms of the time and mass-to-charge-ratio variables.