Astronomers' and Physicists' Attitudes Toward Education & Public Outreach: A Programmatic Study with The Dark Energy Survey

A. Farahi; R. R. Gupta; C. Krawiec; A. A. Plazas; R. C. Wolf

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arXiv · 1805.04034

Astronomers' and Physicists' Attitudes Toward Education & Public Outreach: A Programmatic Study with The Dark Energy Survey

A. Farahi·R. R. Gupta·C. Krawiec·A. A. Plazas·R. C. Wolf

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Abstract

We present a programmatic study of physicists' and astronomers' attitudes toward education and public outreach (EPO) using 131 survey responses from members of the Dark Energy Survey. We find a disparity between the types of EPO activities researchers deem valuable and those in which they participate. Most respondents are motivated to engage in EPO by a desire to educate the public. Barriers to engagement include career- and skill-related concerns, but lack of time is the main deterrent. We explore the value of centralized EPO efforts and conclude with a list of recommendations for increasing researchers' engagement.

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A. Farahi, R. R. Gupta, C. Krawiec, A. A. Plazas, R. C. Wolf. 2018-05-10. Astronomers' and Physicists' Attitudes Toward Education & Public Outreach: A Programmatic Study with The Dark Energy Survey. https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.04034

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