sci.astro.research charter
The group
Name: sci.astro.research
Summary: Discussion of astronomy/astrophysics research & related topics and information.
Status: Moderated.
Moderator: Martin Hardcastle (mjh@star-zebra.herts.ac.uk)
Co-Moderator: Jonathan Thornburg (jthorn@aei.mpg-zebra.de).
Remove -animal from moderators' addresses to contact them...
The purpose of this newsgroup is the discussion of astronomy & astrophysics
research, and the dissemination of information related to astronomy &
astrophysics research. Postings appropriate for sci.astro.research would
include (but does not exclusively consist of):
(i) inquiries or discussions about specific current or historical research, or
(ii) of research-related topics (observing equipment, computational
techniques & software, catalogs, textbooks, journals, references, etc.),
(iii) observations of astrophysical phenomena of interest to researchers
(novae, supernovae, variable stars, high-energy sources, extragalactic
astronomy, planetary astronomy, etc.),
(iv) announcement of recent publications submitted to refereed journals or
of collections of such publications received as preprints,
(v) announcement of future conferences & workshops, proposal or grant
announcments of opportunity, and
(vi) general scientific news relevant to astronomy & astrophysics.
Moderation principles
The moderator will have relatively broad powers to determine
postings that are appropriate for the newsgroup. However, there
are some basic principles that the moderator will adhere to:
- Postings will be judged on their relevancy to scientific
research in astronomy and astrophysics. For example,
inquiries such as `what are AM Her stars and can one
make useful optical observations of them?' are likely
to be deemed within the realm of this newsgroup, while
those such as `will the sun blow up one day?' are likely
to be redirected to sci.astro. The criterion is not
the credentials of the author (contributions by
amateurs are encouraged), but the relevance of the
post to research issues.
- Controversial topics and issues in research can be
addressed, provided that they are discussed with
scientific rigor and rationale; `because I say so'
speculations will be redirected to sci.astro.
- `Unverified' astronomical observations will be posted with
a disclaimer regarding the reliability of the observation.
A verified observation is defined as one that has been
checked and is certified for accuracy by the supporting
institution (eg. bulletin from an observatory, research
organization, etc.) It is hoped that posts of the
unverified observations will serve as a source for
other observers for further investigation or for
astronomical organizations as a source of additional
data for research programs, subject to their *own*
verification.
- Personal attacks, crossposts irrelevant to astrophysics/
astronomy research, commercial advertisements, political
discussions, or posts originating from addresses that
cannot receive e-mail will be rejected. Posters that
wish to keep their email address confidential may
indicate this in direct correspondance to the moderator(s).
Why moderate this newsgroup?
This group is proposed as moderated in order to limit the
contributions to the newsgroup to research issues, and
to provide a level of quality reflective of a scientific
research newsgroup. Particular attention will be paid by
the moderator to include contributions by amateur and
professional alike, but requiring that posts be relevant
to astronomy/astrophysics research issues.
FTP-Archive/WWW Plans
It is planned to archive the contributions to this newsgroup
and provide a connection to this archive through Mosaic/WWW and
anonymous ftp. A FAQ, covering the moderation philosophy
and other administrivia, will be posted monthly by the
moderator.
Submission & Contact Addresses
The submission address for articles will be
sci.astro.research@slimy.greenend.org.uk
while the contact address will be
sci.astro.research-request@slimy.greenend.org.uk
Why sci.astro.research?
The newsgroup sci.astro.research is being proposed to provide
effective and rapid communication within usenet of research
activities in astronomy and astrophysics. Submissions from
all realms of astronomy of postings relevant to research
activities within astronomy/astrophysics are encouraged.
Contribution of professional/research personel to sci.astro
is now primarily feedback to amateur and enthusiast
inquiries concerning general topics in astronomy. Contributions
to sci.astro by these readers is likely to continue with
the existence of sci.astro.research. Furthermore, the
newsgroup sci.astro.research is likely to expand the
level of participation by researchers on sci.astro.