Abstract Pulsar observers have to contend with several effects of propagation through the ionized interstellar medium. I review those effects and how they can be used to study the interstellar plasma. Pulsars are normally observed under conditions of strong scintillation and show both diffractive and refractive effects. I emphasize the diffractive scintillation as exhibited in the dynamic spectrum and in its converse – pulse broadening. From Parkes observations of the pulse broadening of PSR J1644-45, I estimate the inner scale in an interstellar region of strong plasma turbulence to be about 100 km. I discuss the representation of dynamic spectra in terms of their ``secondary spectra'' and show how the arcs, that are often revealed, are related to both angular broadening and pulse broadening. Anisotropy in the scattering both changes the scattered pulse shape but also enhances the visibility of the arcs.
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