*************************************************************************** Gazette IERS Gazette IERS Gazette IERS Gazette IERS Gazette ______________________________________ No 17, 3 June 1997 / ___________________________________/ Contact: iers@obspm.fr ftp: hpiers.obspm.fr (145.238.100.28) WWW: http://hpiers.obspm.fr *************************************************************************** Title: USERS OF IERS AND USES OF IERS PRODUCTS Authors: M. Feissel, A.-M. Gontier, G. Feissel Central Bureau of IERS, Observatoire de Paris We present here an analysis of the poll of IERS users about their current and future needs of celestial and terrestrial global references, Earth orientation series and Atmospheric Angular Momentum. The analysis is organized in five sections: 1. CUSTOMERS 2. GENERAL USE OF IERS RESULTS 3. USE OF IERS BULLETINS 4. OTHER PUBLICATIONS 5. ATMOSPHERIC DATA The actual impact of IERS results available electronically is difficult to estimate, as individuals may consider them as IERS users without being on any IERS distribution list. The airmail distribution lists were completely revised in 1996 on the basis of explicit confirmation of subscriptions. The impact of the IERS/CB ftp and Web site can be evaluated on the basis of existing monthly statistics (500 distinct users monthly). The overall return rate of the questionnaires is about 20%. The detailed analysis of the received questionnaires shows that the sample of responses is biased towards the most demanding users and also towards those who make multiple uses of IERS results. These users are the most involved and those who require the best results. Continuing serving them at the required level of accuracy while they are making continuous progress is an exciting challenge for IERS. 1. CUSTOMERS 1.0 Distribution of poll, return rate Questionnaires sent: e-mail: 360 subscribers of IERS Bulletins + announcement in the IERS Gazette (700 subscribers) + announcement on the IERS/CB Web site airmail: 700 airmail subscribers of IERS publications and bulletins Questionnaires received: e-mail: 187; airmail:32. 1.1 Domains of application mentioned, in numbers of users and in % of number of questionnaires analysed (multiple responses were accepted). ____________________________________________________________________________ Domain/Domain Astr. Sp. G. Navig. Geod. Earth Sci Time All ____________________________________________________________________________ Number of users 74 100 44 79 52 55 219 Users(%) 34 46 20 36 24 25 1.2 Pairs of domains (number of users per pair): ------------------------------------------- Domain/Domain Astr. Sp. G. Navig. Geod. Earth Sci Time ____________________________________________________________________________ Astronomy 74 Space Geodesy 27 100 Navigation 10 20 44 Geodesy 17 40 15 79 Earth Sci. 13 26 7 25 52 Time 26 20 10 16 12 55 ____________________________________________________________________________ 1.3 Environment, Status, Type of use, in % of number of questionnaires analysed (multiple responses were accepted). The 'Library, Education, Press' environment is underrepresented in the poll. The actual count of this category in the airmail distribution list is 10%. ____________________________________________________________________________ Environment Status Type of use of IERS results ____________________________________________________________________________ Research lab 44 Individual 36 Accurate reference 62 University 28 Project 44 Research 44 Agency 22 Service 32 Comparison with own results 26 Company 11 Student 3 Conventional reference 43 Lib, Edu, Press 3 Information 39 ____________________________________________________________________________ 2. GENERAL USE OF IERS RESULTS Counts of users are given in % of questionnaires analysed. Other responses are given in % of users of the result concerned (multiple responses were accepted). ____________________________________________________________________________ \ RESULTS | ICRF ITRF ------------- EOP ------------- USES \ | Pred Rapid Monthly Permanent ____________________________________________________________________________ Users(%) 32 56 39 38 53 49 2.1 Associated uses of results according to domain(%): -------------------------------------------------- Association Astrono Space G Navigat Geodesy Earth S Time ICRF,EOP,ITRF 45 50 35 31 19 46 ICRF,EOP 6 0 9 1 4 3 ITRF,EOP 9 34 24 29 23 11 EOP only 34 10 24 24 44 30 ICRF,ITRF 2 0 0 0 0 0 ICRF only 0 0 0 0 0 0 ITRF only 3 5 9 14 10 11 2.2 Type of use(%): ICRF ITRF ------------- EOP ------------- -------------- Pred Rapid Monthly Permanent Accurate reference 46 61 36 45 54 50 Research 38 40 28 35 41 47 Comparison/own res 17 40 16 20 19 28 Conventional refer 28 43 34 31 28 35 Information 35 33 28 30 29 30 2.3 Satisfaction with results(%): ----------------------------- Very good 59 55 49 52 63 63 Good 40 41 44 45 36 37 Not so good 1 4 7 4 1 0 Bad 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.4 Access(%): --------- ftp 53 59 33 43 42 54 WWW 36 34 23 27 28 26 E-mail 35 27 69 61 57 36 Airmail 40 44 17 18 29 28 ____________________________________________________________________________ 3. USE OF BULLETINS Counts of users are given in % of number of questionnaires analysed. Other responses are given in % of users of the bulletin concerned (multiple responses were accepted). The counts of airmail accesses are given both from this poll and from the actual IERS distribution lists. ____________________________________________________________________________ \ BULLETINS | Bull.A Bull.B Bull.C Bull.D USES \ | Pred Rapid 1-d 5-d ____________________________________________________________________________ Users(%) 41 45 45 53 57 30 3.1 Type of use(%): -------------- Accurate reference 37 43 46 40 29 26 Research 26 33 43 39 19 15 Comparison/own res 14 21 21 18 6 3 Conventional refer 33 34 29 34 30 26 Information 37 27 31 32 59 66 3.2 Access(%): ---------- ftp 31 41 40 38 21 14 WWW 17 19 18 21 18 22 E-mail 69 61 53 56 67 70 Airmail (this poll) 17 19 26 30 32 31 (distribution lists) 12 12 8 5 3.3 Satisfaction with current bulletins(%): -------------------------------------- Very good 53 56 52 58 62 52 Good 44 42 47 41 37 47 Not so good 3 2 1 1 1 2 Bad 0 0 0 0 0 0 ____________________________________________________________________________ 4. OTHER PUBLICATIONS Counts of users are given in % of number of questionnaires analysed. Other responses are given in % of users of the publication concerned. (multiple responses were accepted). The counts of airmail accesses are given both from this poll and from the actual IERS distribution lists. ____________________________________________________________________________ USES \ RESULTS | Ann. Rep. Conventions Tech. N. Gazette ____________________________________________________________________________ Users(%) 74 64 67 53 4.1 Type of use(%): -------------- Accurate reference 37 47 37 11 Research 48 48 49 18 Comparison/own res 22 18 19 4 Conventional refer 24 33 20 11 Information 57 48 56 83 4.2 Satisfaction with contents(%): ----------------------------- Very good 48 52 46 35 Good 49 44 53 62 Not so good 3 4 1 4 Bad 0 0 0 0 4.3 Access(%): --------- ftp 23 37 22 15 WWW 17 21 18 13 E-mail 13 12 12 78 Airmail (this poll) 75 77 78 17 (distribution lists) 46 35 32 ____________________________________________________________________________ 5. ATMOSPHERIC DATA Number of users: 66 (30%) Counts of responses are given in % of the AAM users. (multiple responses were accepted). 5.1 Type of use(%): Importance(%): Access(%): -------------- ------------- --------- Analysis 57 Indispensible 21 ftp 61 Comparison 31 Very useful 26 WWW 33 Information 55 Useful 29 E-mail 31 Marginal 21 Airmail 33 5.2 Satisfaction with results / distribution(%): -------------------------------------------- Very good 36 26 Good 61 60 Not so good 4 11 Bad 0 2 ____________________________________________________________________________