Frequently
Asked Questions — FAQs
AMS Services in General
I am an attorney preparing for an upcoming court case. I am trying to locate
a meteorologist willing to testify as to the weather conditions on a certain
date. Where can I find such an individual?
Why don't you contact a
Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM)?
A CCM is a professional meteorologist who has an in-depth understanding of the atmosphere and its behavior. Services
and products provided by CCMs are founded upon their abilities to apply this
specialized knowledge to a broad range of related activities, issues, and inquiries.
A meteorologist must fulfill several requirements in order to apply for the
CCM, and must pass written and oral examinations before the CCM is granted.
Certification by the AMS enables users of meteorological services to select
consultants with a greater confidence in the quality and reliability of the
products and services they will receive.
For a listing of CCMs click on "Members' Products
and Services"
Education
I am a junior in high school, and I am writing a research paper for my
science class. Where can I find information about tornadoes, hurricanes, and
other weather-related natural disasters? My teacher wants us to use published
articles as well as the Internet for this assignment.
You can obtain articles that have appeared in the AMS Bulletin by going
to the AMS Journals Online
site and searching for these topics. Bulletin articles are free of charge. The full text for articles from the other journals requires a subscription
to access. There are, of course, many other Web sites with information on these
topics that can be found through searches in any of the major Web search portals,
such as Yahoo and others.
Meetings and Conferences
- How do I find out about upcoming meetings of the AMS and related orgnizations?
- A full listing of upcoming meetings is available on the AMS Web site. Click
on "Meetings and Exhibits",
then either choose to view the full
"Calendar and call for papers" or look at the additional information for
AMS meetings and other meetings and workshops of interest.
- My company is an AMS corporate member. Am I entitled to special member
rates at conferences?
- Even though your company is a corporate member of the AMS, special conference
rates are available only to those who are individual members of the AMS. For
more information on becoming an individual member click on "Membership
Information"
- I am interested in a paper that was presented at a previous AMS conference.
How do I go about ordering a preprint from a past meeting?
- You can do so by contacting amsorder@ametsoc.org,
and they will place your order and ship the preprint to you.
- Our group has an idea for a short course/workshop that we would like
to see offered at an AMS conference. How do I go about getting this idea to
the right people?
- Send your idea to the AMS Committee on Continuing Education at ams_ctgedu@ametsoc.org.
They are always looking for new ways to provide quality educational offerings
to the AMS community.
Membership
- Do I have to have a degree in meteorology to become a member of the AMS?
- No, anyone can become an Associate Member of the AMS and enjoy the benefits of membership, such as special pricing for books and journals. To become a full voting member you will need to fulfill certain educational and experience criteria.
'If you are seeking full membership and do not have a degree in meteorology, you
will want to review the "Interpretive Memorandum" for information on specific membership requirements.
-
- Do I have to have a degree in meteorology to call myself a meteorologist?
- Technically,
no, because there is no legal definition of this term. The AMS provides
a guideline on the use of this term, however, that it hopes will be followed
by all in the field. You can find this guideline by clicking on "News and Information" and then choosing "Statements of the AMS." Under 'Statements Presently in Force' follow the link for "What is a Meteorologist? A Professional Guideline (1990).
- Does the AMS offer reduced dues for members that have retired from the
workforce?
- While the AMS does not offer reduced rates to every retired member,
those retired individuals who have been active members of the Society
for 25 or more years may be eligible for the grade of Member Emeritus.
To quote from the American Meteorological Society's constitution:
"Any person who is a member of 25 or more years will, on reaching
the age of 70, be relieved of paying dues, if he so requests, without
curtailing his rights as a member to receive the publications appropriate
to his grade over the last five years."
Members Emeritus, while exempt from paying dues, continue to enjoy the
many benefits of membership, including voting rights and a complementary
subscription to the Bulletin.
Eligible individuals interested in changing their member status may contact
Headquarters by telephone to 617-227-2426, ext. 209 or 237 or by email
to amsmem@ametsoc.org.
Miscellaneous
- How can I join an AMS board or committee?
- All members are welcome (and encouraged!) to volunteer their service on
AMS boards and committees.
There are currently 30 committees on the Scientific and Technological Activities
Commission (STAC); three boards and one committee on the Education and Human
Resources Commission; five boards on the Commission on Professional Affairs;
10 boards and one committee on the Publications Commission, and over a dozen
committees of the Council and Executive Committee. Each of these is generally
staffed by five to ten volunteers who rotate through on multi-year terms.
And thus there are literally many dozens of openings each year.
The best way to express your interest in serving is to contact the chair of
the appropriate committee or board. These individuals' names and affiliations
are listed yearly in the August issue of the Bulletin. In addition,
many of these groups have Home ages, which can be found via links on the AMS
Web site by clicking on "Boards/Committees"
Finally, you may send a message of interest through AMS Headquarters. Address
it to the Director of Executive Programs, Joyce Annese, at jannese@ametsoc.org.
- How are individuals nominated for AMS awards, and how are they selected?
- AMS confers over two dozen awards each year. Separate procedures have been
developed for each award, so as to most effectively solicit and collect nominations,
and subsequently generate a recommendation for award. The Council of the AMS
has the final approval for all awards.
A full list of AMS awards, and procedures for submitting nominations, is printed
annually in the August issue of the Bulletin. In addition, each monthly
issue of the Bulletin has a condensed version, with specific instructions
on submitting nominations.
You do not need to be a member of the AMS to receive an AMS award, but a nominee
must be an AMS member to be eligible for election to AMS Fellow. More information
on AMS awards and election of Fellows is available by clicking on "Members'
Page"
- I would like to list my favorite websites on my homepage. May I link my homepage
to the AMS website?
- Yes. But please be aware that the AMS logo is a registered trademark and may
not be used without permission.
- Does the AMS make official statements on controversial issues such as "Global
Warming"?
- The AMS Council
has issued formal statements on a variety of topics. You can find them by clicking on "News and Information" and then choosing "Statements of the AMS."
- Having recently retired from the field of meteorology, I'd like to donate
my collection of AMS journals to a worthy organization. Do you have any suggestions
as to who might benefit from such a donation?
- Help developing countries in Asia by donating your journals to Bridge to Asia, a non-profit San Francisco organization. Visit the Bridge to Asia Web site at http://www.bridge.org/Books.html or call them at 415-678-2990 for additional information. All donations and shipping costs are tax deductible.
- How would I go about starting an AMS Chapter in my area?
- For information on starting a local chapter click on "Chapter
Information"
Publications
- What is copyright?
- Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States
(title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors "of original works of authorship" including
literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works.
This protection is available to both published and unpublished works. Section
106 of the Copyright Act generally gives the owner of copyright the exclusive
right to do and to authorize others to do the following to reproduce, to prepare
derivative works, to distribute copies or phono records, to perform the copyright
work publicly, and to display the copyrighted work publicly.
- Why should I transfer copyright to AMS?
- It allows the AMS to act as the steward for the intellectual property contained
in the published works. It also allows the AMS to protect the value of the
materials so that they can be used to generate revenue for the Society, which
is then used to support the peer-review publication process so crucial to
the scholarly scientific endeavor.
- Is it required to transfer copyright?
- Yes. Authors must assign copyright to the AMS as a condition of publishing
the work with the AMS. This requirement may be waived for some materials.
Copyright transfer takes place when the work is accepted for publication by
an AMS editor or appropriate AMS staff member.
- Where can I get an AMS copyright form?
- You may
download the copyright agreement from our website at the "Authors'
Resource Center (ARC)" or
request one from Headquarters: American Meteorological Society, Attn:
Publications Coordinator, 45 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02018 [phone:
617-227-2425, e-mail:
amspubs@ametsoc.org].
It is also published in the August issue of the Bulletin of the American
Meteorological Society.
- Who should sign the form?
-
- All authors including U.S. government employees.
- Which section
should I sign?
- The top section provides for the signatures of authors indicating
transfer of the copyright to the AMS on acceptance for publication. The bottom
section provides for the signatures of authors submitting a manuscript done as
a work of the U.S. Government that is not subject to copyright.
It has become
common practice for authors who are government employees to sign the bottom section
of the form and all other authors to sign the top section. In reality, even government
employees should often sign the top section providing transfer of the copyright
to the AMS. In general, the bottom "Government" section of the transfer form should
only be signed by authors who are official U.S. government employees and then
only when the work being submitted was done as part of the "official duties" of
their positions.
A government employee who prepares a manuscript on a subject
completely separate from his regular duties (say of a review or of historical
nature) should not sign the government portion of transfer form even if some or
all of the work was done at the government facility during regular working hours.
- I would like to reprint a figure from your journal, Journal of Applied
Meteorology. Do I need written permission?
- No. Our "blanket permission"
in the copyright statement on the inside cover of our journals provides for
the use of figures and brief excerpts without formal written permission provided
you acknowledge the source of the material. Therefore, written permission is
not needed.
- I would like to reprint part of my recently accepted article in
my doctoral thesis. May I do that?
- Yes. The author may reuse any portion of
the work for personal use in future lectures, press releases, or reviews without
the need to request permission from the AMS as long as the author acknowledges
that the work has been published by the AMS and that the AMS holds the copyright.
The AMS also grants permission to the author to reuse portions of the work,
such as figures, tables, or portions of text, in future publications without
needing to request specific permission from the AMS for each individual instance.
- Why doesn't AMS accept LaTeX files?
- AMS would like to accept the author's LaTeX file electronically and use it directly in the typesetting process. Unfortunately, it is not cost-effective to do this using the Penta printing system currently in place at Allen Press. The new typesetting software that Allen Press intends to migrate to (a system called "3B2") can work with LaTeX more directly and at that time it may become cost-effective to accept author genrated LaTeX files. The conversion process will likely extend into early 2003.
- Can I submit my manuscript to the Bulletin and other AMS journals using the web? If so how do I go about doing this and what formats are accepted?
- AMS encourages authors to submit manuscripts in PDF format to the Bulletin, and all AMS journals. (To submit manuscripts to EarthInteractions please click here).
Files should be no more than 2 MB must be in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), with all figures and tables as a part of the manuscript file. If figures are provided as a separate file from the main text, they should be submitted as PDF, PS, or EPS format and be bound, together with the main file, into a single ZIP, TAR, or GZ format file. Large numbers of separate files will not be accepted.
For more informatoin or to submit a manuscript please go to the "Authors' Resource Center (ARC)"
- I want to post my article on my homepage. Is this allowed?
- Yes. Permission
is explicitly provided to the authors to post their articles on their
own personal home page. The policies do not allow a copy of an AMS copyrighted
article to be placed on a server in any other way, so articles cannot
be posted as part of a collection on a so-called "e-print" server.
For more information on this go to the "Authors'
Resource Center (ARC)", and
then choose the AMS Copyright Policies.
Student Membership and Services
- I have been a student member for the last four years. Now that I've graduated, I'd like to upgrade my status from "student" to "member." How do I do this?
- If you have graduated with a degree in atmospheric or related oceanic or hydrologic sciences, you need only submit an official college transcript reflecting completion of your degree. Your transcript should be sent to the attention of our Member Services Department.
If your degree is in a field other than the atmospheric or related sciences,
your official college transcript must be accompanied by an updated membership
application. An application may be obtained by contacting Headquarters or
on the AMS Web site at "Membership
Information" Once received, your
transcript and application will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee and
then forwarded to the Society's Council.
Because developing and maintaining a long-term relationship with you is important
to us, we help recent graduates make the transition from student member to full
member with a discounted dues rate for up to five years after graduation. Once
you upgrade to full Member status, the cost of your membership will increase
from $15 for the first full year after graduation to just $40 for each of the
next four years. This Early Career Dues structure will allow you to make the
transition to full membership affordably, but without a loss of benefits.
- What special services are available for student members?
- AMS has a number of special services for student members. The following
is a partial list. Further information is available on the AMS Web site at "Membership Information".
- Reduced membership fees.
- Reduced registration fees for conferences and short courses
- Reduced cost for many publications.
- Undergraduate scholarship and graduate fellowship awards
- Student travel grants to AMS meetings
- Summer opportunities program
- Curricula of degree programs
- Best paper awards at many conferences
- Student local chapters
- Employment announcements
- Job fair at the annual meeting
- My 15 year old daughter is extremely interested in the weather and is thinking of pursuing a career in meteorology. Do you have any information on what types of careers are available in this field?
Are there any colleges that offer degree programs in the atmospheric sciences?
- Our career booklet, Challenges
of our Changing Atmosphere, is an invaluable resource for anyone interested
in pursuing a career in the atmospheric sciences. The booklet is available on
our Web site in both HTML and PDF formats.
Please contact Headquarters for a paper copy or for multiple copy orders.
There are over 100 colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada that offer degree programs in the atmospheric and related sciences. In cooperation with the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), the AMS compiles information on these schools and publishes them in the Curricula in the Atmospheric, Oceanic, Hydrologic and Related Sciences. This publication contains detailed information about each individual college or university - types of degrees offered; name, highest degree, Alma Mater and special interest of each faculty member; title of undergraduate and graduate courses offered; number of degrees granted, etc. The CURRICULA is available free of charge on our web site by following the "Student Resources" link.
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