The current understanding of the mechanism of asphaltene adsorption and emulsion stability in the oil-water interface have been summarized in the paper. Although significant research has been accomplished in this area, consensus has not been found on several aspects, including the reversibility of asphaltene adsorption, coalescence mechanism and structure and orientation of the asphaltenes. One reason for discrepancies in results could be due the methodology employed currently, which require subjective interpretation of indirect results to some extent. The simultaneous analysis of the asphaltene structures at the interface using direct imaging methods combined with the corresponding IFT and rheological responses can be a way of reducing the subjectivity.