Designing for Discovery in Astronomy's Data-Intensive Era  [slides]

Abstract

The dawning era of data-intensive astronomy offers us unprecedented potential for discovery. However, the immense data rates of new-generation telescopes mean that we won't be able to make these discoveries using established approaches. In this presentation, I will look at how our work practices need to change as we adapt to the data-intensive era - and discuss how we can use what we know about astronomical discovery-making to build more effective workflows. I will present a case study from the field of fast transient science, discussing the development of intelligent workflows for the Deeper, Wider, Faster transient search program, and describing the new eResearch platform PerSieve. I will discuss lessons learned about how astronomers work - and the implications for how we can capitalise on the vast discovery potential of coming data-intensive telescopes.