SummaryPrior to the 19th century, professional ... 1 ... did not exist and scientific research was largely carried out by amateurs. However, while ... 2 ... today is mostly the domain of professionals, a recent US survey highlighted the fact that amateurs play an important role in at least seven ... 3 ... and indeed many professionals are reliant on their ... 4 .... In areas such as astronomy, amateurs can be invaluable when making specific ... 5 ... on a global basis. Similarly in the area of palaeontology their involvement is invaluable and helpers are easy to recruit because of the popularity of ... 6 .... Amateur birdwatchers also play an active role and their work has led to the establishment of a ... 7 .... Occasionally the term ’amateur’ has been the source of disagreement and alternative names have been suggested but generally speaking, as long as the professional scientists ... 8 ... the work of the non-professionals, the two groups can work productively together. 1（）