Astronomy is one of the most data-intensive of the sciences. Data technology
is accelerating the quality and effectiveness of its research, and the rate of
astronomical discovery is higher than ever. As a result, many view astronomy as
being in a 'Golden Age', and projects such as the Virtual Observatory are
amongst the most ambitious data projects in any field of science. But these
powerful tools will be impotent unless the data on which they operate are of
matching quality. Astronomy, like other fields of science, therefore needs to
establish and agree on a set of guiding principles for the management of
astronomical data. To focus this process, we are constructing a 'data
manifesto', which proposes guidelines to maximise the rate and
cost-effectiveness of scientific discovery.Comment: Submitted to Data Science Journal Presented at CODATA, Beijing,
October 200
