Conference | International Astronomical Union, 26th General Assembly, Special Session 6, #5, 38951, August 22, 2006, Prague, Czech Republic |
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Abstract | There is a host of uncontestable reasons, ranging from scientific to economic via issues of efficiency, why a properly-managed data archive is an essential facility in an observational science like astronomy. While most astronomers would agree with the principle of archiving data of all kinds for the wider community benefit, in practice our achievements are patchy, particularly in issues of preservation and accessibility. This talk will try to analyse why that seems to be so. How effectively archiving is being accomplished reflects prevailing attitudes. It is those attitudes, both individual and corporate, that largely direct where and how we distribute our resources; they control, prioritise and thereby effect (and affect) the quality, content and future of the science which only observational data can support. |
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