Data Behind the Figures

There have always been data in the journals, in the form of tables and images. Much of the data that the journals handle is explicitly tabular, and is therefore easy to exchange and manage using the wide array of mature systems available to the community. The AAS journals are pleased to accept this data, with the proviso that the journals are not data centers, so large data sets should be submitted to a suitable data repository and referred to from articles.

The journals would like to have more of the numerical data that underlie figures in the journals, figures that represent highly reduced and analyzed results – “graphics“ or “line art,“ rather than images or halftones. If the data that you used to make your plot can be represented in a tabular form – wavelength vs. flux, time vs. intensity, color vs. color, etc. – please consider making it available, so that the data themselves can be provided along with the figure in the journal. If you have questions about what formats the journals will accept, or about the most effective way to represent the data, email the AAS journals scientist, Dr. Greg Schwarz (Greg.Schwarz AT aas.org).