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Referencing Data Sets in Astronomical Literature


The Astrophysics Data Centers Executive Council (ADEC) has recommended a naming convention for referencing datasets in astronomical literature. The convention is basically to add a prefix to the current dataset names producing a reference of the form:

ADS/facility#identifier
 where
  • "ADS" indicates that the ADS is the "registering authority" for ADEC identifiers,
  • "facility" is a name registered with the ADS in the form: (but apparently not mandated?) "observatory.telescope". Space-based observatories are designated as either "Sa" for satellites, and "Sh" for shuttle experiments.
  • "identifier" is the data set name as currently used (e.g., SWP16877).

The list of MAST-relevant facilities registered with the ADS are stored online in an xml-format file at: archive.stsci.edu/profile/mast_profile.xml and include the following:

  • NRAO.VLA National Radio Astronomy Observatory/VLA, Very Large Array (because of FIRST data)
  • PBO.HPOL Pine Bluff Observatory, Halfwave Spectropolarimeter ( for HPOL data)
  • Sa.COPERNICUS Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 3 satellite
  • Sa.EUVE Extreme UltraViolet Explorer satellite
  • Sa.FUSE Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer satellite
  • Sa.GALEX Galaxy Evolution Explorer satellite
  • Sa.HST Hubble Space Telescope satellite
  • Sa.IUE International Ultraviolet Explorer
  • Sa.ORFEUS Orbiting and Retrievable Far and Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer satellite
  • Sh.HUT Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope
  • Sh.UIT Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope
  • Sh.WUPPE Wisconsin Ultraviolet PhotoPolarimeter Experiment
Note that the ASTRO telescopes are considered Shuttle experiments rather than satellites so they have the "Sh" rather than "Sa" notation for the observatory, (which I guess is technically true, they were never released from the shuttle.

Examples of valid names would be:

  • ADS/Sa.IUE#swp16877
  • ADS/Sh.UIT#FUV2323
  • ADS/Sa.HST#U32L0104T (a WFPC2 image)
  • ADS/Sa.FUSE#Z9104501007
  • ADS/PBO.HPOL#kap-cas_19900925

To search for a given data set using the above naming conventions, go to http://vo.ads.harvard.edu/dv/DataVerifier.cgi. This will search not only MAST, but all the NASA data centers. More information on the ADS dataset verification service can be found at http://ads.harvard.edu/www/dv.

To verify the existence of particular MAST data sets using the standard naming conventions, and display the recommended data set reference following the AAS guidelines, go to http://archive.stsci.edu/dataset_verifier.php".

The complete list of ADS registered facilities is available at http://ads.harvard.edu/www/dv/facilities.txt. More information on the proposed dataset identifiers and how to specify them in an AASTeX manuscript, can be found at Chandra web site at: http://cxc.harvard.edu/cda/datasetid.html.