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IAU Working Group on Communicating Astronomy with the Public

The IAU Working Group aims to promote outreach and communication in astronomy, encouraging astronomers to actively engage with the public. With a focus on international collaboration, the group endorses standards, best practices, and requirements for public communication. The group seeks to overcome barriers in communication and integrate public communication into the structure of organizations. Activities include a website, networking, skills workshops, and promoting the Washington Charter.

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IAU Working Group on Communicating Astronomy with the Public

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  1. IAU Working Group onCommunicating Astronomywith the Public Ian Robson

  2. Inception • The Washington DC Meeting of 2002 which had specific charges as outcomes of the meeting: • The ‘Washington Charter’ • The IAU Working Group

  3. IAU DIVISION XII Working Group COMMUNICATING ASTRONOMY WITH THE PUBLIC It is the responsibility of every practising astronomer to play some role in explaining the interest and value of science to our real employers, the taxpayers of the world. Mission statement To encourage and enable a much larger fraction of the astronomical community to take an active role in explaining what we do (and why) to our fellow citizens. To act as an international, impartial coordinating entity that furthers the recognition of outreach and public communication on all levels in astronomy. To encourage international collaborations on outreach and public communication. To endorse standards, best practices and requirements for public communication.

  4. Three of the barriers that are most often perceived are: first, many of us feel that we don't know very well how to communicate to the public and suspect we won't be very good at it; second, most organizations that employ us do not regard communication and outreach as a real part of our "job descriptions", and third, many organisations (especially outside the USA) have not yet integrated public communication in their structure with the necessary funding, infrastructure, personnel etc. For the researchers, the time taken for public communication is not only not rewarded, it may well in effect punish the researcher if outreach is not counted as a merit like grants, refereed papers, etc.

  5. Activities • Web-site www.communicatingastronomy.org • List of key people • Promulgation of the Washington Charter • Links to sites/info/books – early days • Organised CAP2005

  6. Where do we go from here? • The DC meeting had specific charges and so followed a workshop theme to explore these. • This meeting seeks to consolidate and move forward by: • sharing best practice • exchanging information/lessons learned • networking • providing skills workshop sessions • Your input is most welcome.....

  7. Looking to obtain funding for help in doing the ‘day job’ – must be very careful not to tread on existing turf but to act as facilitators and helpers. • Prepare for IAU General Assembly 2006 • ASP Meeting Tucson September 2005 • Need to work on CAP2007 • Much more work to do on promulgating the WC • Must encourage and support those who wish to undertake ‘outreach’ – raise the profile • Need to focus on bringing ‘best practice’ into the domain of those who will benefit and use the web as the medium. • Need to develop the web-base of material – specifically the virtual repository • Develop email list of ‘supporters’ and regular updates of progress – please sign up

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