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History: The proposal to form a Working Group on the Unified Astronomy Thesaurus (WGUAT; UAT) was approved by the Board of Trustees at the June 2024 Board meeting.
The UAT is at a critical junction and needs a new management structure. For long-term viability, the UAT needs a full-time curator. The new WGUAT would be primarily responsible for establishing this position and raising financial commitments to support it. Financial support should include a mix of AAS resources, contributions from other stakeholders, and grants. In addition, the WGUAT needs to create a strategic vision for the UAT with achievable milestones, such as adoption by additional publishing concerns. The WGUAT also must assist the curator in more direct ways by providing content and technical support to the curator.
Members: WGUAT should consist of thirteen members, divided between stakeholder representatives and general members. The number of general WGUAT members should be no less than the number of financial stakeholder representatives. The total number of WGUAT members should not exceed 20. In addition, the UAT curator is an ex-officio member.
Chairs: A chair and a vice-chair shall lead the WGUAT. Subject to Board approval, the WGUAT membership shall select these officers annually from among their current membership.
Term: General members should serve staggered 3-year terms.
Charge: The AAS provides the Unified Astronomy Thesaurus to the astronomical community so that professional astronomers have a common, controlled vocabulary that facilitates the discovery of our research. The Working Group manages, maintains, and improves this resource.
Committee Members
Stephen Flockton
IOP Publishing
Term: Dec 2024 – Jun 2026