Characterization of femtosecond pulses is an important technology inthe femtosecond laser research field. We introduce the current research status and recent progress of a new method named self-referenced spectral interferometry (SRSI) whichis a simple and high-performance method. The advantages and disadvantages of three different SRSI methods by using three third-order optical nonlinear processes (cross-polarization wave generation, self-diffraction and transient grating) are compared in detail. The comparison will provide a comprehensive reference forthe related research and application in the near future.