The AAVSO 2011 Demographic and Background Survey

TL;DR

This study analyzes the demographics, motivations, and engagement of AAVSO members, revealing a highly educated, long-term, and scientifically motivated community with increasing age and diverse participation modes.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive, updated demographic and motivational profile of AAVSO members, highlighting changes over time and the organization's evolving role in citizen science.

Findings

Participants are highly educated and predominantly male.

The average involvement duration is 14 years.

A significant portion are active in non-observing roles.

Abstract

In 2011, the AAVSO conducted a survey of 615 people who are or were recently active in the 101-year old organization. The survey included questions about their demographic background and variable star interests. Data are descriptively analyzed and compared with prior surveys. Results show an organization of very highly educated, largely male amateur and professional astronomers distributed across 108 countries. Participants tend to be loyal, with the average time of involvement in the AAVSO reported as 14 years. Most major demographic factors have not changed much over time. However, the average age of new members is increasing. Also, a significant portion of the respondents report being strictly active in a non-observing capacity, reflecting the growing mission of the organization. Motivations of participants are more aligned with scientific contribution than with that reported by other citizen science projects. This may help explain why a third of all respondents are an author or co-author of a paper in an astronomical journal. Finally, there is some evidence that participation in the AAVSO has a greater impact on the respondents' view of their role in astronomy compared to that expected through increasing amateur astronomy experience alone. Results paint a picture of participants in a modern, advanced citizen science organization.