MeV ion implantation into InP compound semiconductor crystals with 5 MeV nitrogen ions has been investigated. The subsequent characterization was undertaken by a variety of techniques such as nuclear resonant reaction analysis, channeling Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, X-ray rocking curve measurement and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. These techniques have clearly revealed substantial changes in structural properties and radiation-induced damage distribution as well as the influence of post-implantation annealing in 15N ion-implanted InP samples. The results from these measurements, which are presented in this paper, are shown to be consistent with each other, and have led to a coherent description of the effects of the implantation and subsequent annealing. In a practical sense this has demonstrated the complementary nature of the analytical capabilities of all of these techniques used for the investigation of the processes involved in high-energy heavy- ion implantation.