The latest revision offers an expanded scope and stronger recommendations for acknowledging observer contributions. | By Brian Kloppenborg
The AAVSO is proud to announce the release of its updated Data Usage Guidelines, dated October 6, 2025. These guidelines replace our 2021 version and reflect the continued growth of AAVSO’s scientific archives. They provide clearer direction on how researchers should acknowledge contributors, cite our databases, and include AAS facility keywords when publishing.
The most significant change is an expanded scope and stronger recommendations for acknowledging observer contributions. While the 2021 guidelines focused mainly on the AAVSO International Database (AID), the new version now provides guidance for all of our major resources:
- AAVSO International Database (AID)
- AAVSO Solar Database, often called the “American Relative Sunspot Number (Ra)”
- AAVSO Variable Star Index (VSX)
- AAVSO Spectroscopy Database (AVSpec)
- AAVSO Exoplanet Database (ExoDB)
- AAVSO Observing Campaigns and Alert Notices
- AAVSO Photometric All-Sky Survey (APASS)
- AAVSO Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance (SID) database
We encourage all researchers using AAVSO data to include the recommended acknowledgement text, add the appropriate facility keywords, and notify us of any resulting publications using our contact form.
If you find our data valuable, please also consider supporting AAVSO’s mission through membership or donation.
The full 2025 Data Usage Guidelines are available on our website here.