Electrical properties and relaxation characteristics for undoped and ZnO-dopedBaZr(x)Ti(1-x)O(3) have been studied via complex impedance measurements. The results suggest that at the grain interior Zn2+ substitutes Ti4+ and serves as an acceptor dopant. STEM and EDX analysis confirm the expected presence of Zn and Ti rich phase at the triangle phase boundaries, but find few signals for zinc at the grain core. More insightful studies are needed in order to clarify this point. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.