The liquid structure can be determined from the measured structure factor. The one dimensional average of the liquid structure factor can be measured in scattering experiments both in the bulk and at interfaces. However, the range of the wavevector which can be probed experimentally is limited and in some cases severely limited, thus restricting the information obtainable about the short range structure of the liquid. Using asymptotic analysis we consider how to extend the structure factor measurements and improve the modelling of the short range structure of the liquid. We show that for the bulk liquid a real space structure can be derived which is stable with respect to improvements in the experimental data, hypothesising that this is the real structure of the liquid. We apply these methods to surface studies and examine the possibilities of determining the real structure of the liquid near an interface.