The+Amateur+Community+and+Citizen+Science

The Amateur Community and Citizen Science Arne Henden

The AAVSO has been participating in a pro-am experiment for the past 100 years, connecting professional astronomers with amateur astronomers that have suitable expertise, experience, equipment and enthusiasm to support their research. More recently, other organizations have been experimenting with crowd sourcing, such as Galaxy Zoo; forming teams with specific projects, such as MicroFun for microlensing, the Center for Backyard Astronomy (CBA) for cataclysmic variables, and the XO project for exoplanet transits; using amateur contributions to further their own science, such as high resolution planetary imaging or early photometry of supernovae found in commmonly imaged galaxies. All of these projects have one thing in common: professional-amateur collaborations, utilizing the amateur community as a resource. The questions arise regarding how much of this is "science", where the individuals are both educated and are active participants in the project; how to properly acknowledge their contributions; how to put professionals in contact with appropriate amateurs for their needs; how to use the diverse professional skills of the amateurs within scientific projects, such as database expertise or website design. There are even larger questions concerning the role of amateurs in the new age of surveys.

The workshop will open with a few introductory remarks, but we want the participants to bring their experiences in dealing with amateur astronomers; to suggest possible pro-am activities that have scientific merit; to consider the transient object future for small telescopes with modern instrumentation in light of the upcoming large-scale surveys. The workshop will be free format; if you have a few slides to illustrate your ideas, then bring them, but round-table discussions will be even more valuable. We will generate a summary document at the end of the workshop.