ARK Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why can't I login?
In order to use ARK, an account is required. If you do not have an ARK account, you can create an account by joining one or more open ARK groups. If you require access to a private ARK group, contact the ARK Help Desk and request an invitation to the group you wish to join. ARK uses temporary session cookies to maintain your "logged in" status. If you have disabled cookies through your browser preferences, you will not be able to log in.
Q: If my ARK login session expires and I submit a filled form that has been sitting in my browser, I am asked to login. After I login, the form data that I entered is sometimes lost (particularly if the form was for uploading a file). What can I do?
After you have successfully logged in, press your browser's "Back" button once or possibly twice and re-submit.
Q: How do I export data from an ARK database table?
Note that not all ARK groups permit access to the underlying database. For those that do, select the Advanced Search link in the Search section of the relevant group page. Enter search terms to limit the results to the data you want to export. Select the View checkbox for all parameters that you wish to export. Change the Output Format at the bottom of the advanced search form to an export format, such as Excel-compatible or FITS, and press the Start Search button.
Q: How do I save my data input form on Internet Explorer for Macintosh?
IE/Mac has an issue with downloading text files. It chooses to display them in the browser. After pressing the "Save" button, the form values are displayed in a new window. Select "Save As..." from the File menu and then choose to save it as "HTML Source" (even though it is not HTML).

Please refer to the ARK Remote Proposal System (RPS) FAQ for answers to some questions about submitting proposals using ARK.