Researching UFO Accounts
Where to Start
What may surprise some when beginning to research the topic of UFOs is not the lack of dependable resources but their overwhelming abundance. First, what is a “dependable reso
urce.” For the purposes of this guide, it is one which relies on primary sources and witness accounts – contemporary newspaper clippings, first and secondhand witness accounts, and investigators/interviewers who try to exert minimal bias. Of course, when focusing on primary sources and firsthand accounts, it is the provenance of materials and the reliability of witnesses that matters most – can actual newspaper and magazine articles from the period be located; were the witnesses where they say they were; do they seem credible/reliable? Where does one begin to search for such things?
Texts versus Databases
Whereas academic databases may be the logical starting point in most fields of research, this is not the case for an area of study riddled with stigma and taboo. For many decades UFO investigators had to build their own networks outside of academia in order to publish – and often self-publish – their findings. Well-researched books and bibliographies, therefore, are still the best place to gain an overview of the many topics and sub-topics contained within this vast field. This is especially true of works that focus on firsthand narratives, where researchers rely on their own field notes and recordings of witnesses. By investigating the reference sections and indexes included in the works listed on this site one can gain a better sense of keyword searches, researchers, and important dates and events.
The archives, databases, and websites highlighted on this site were chosen because digitized primary sources are mostly explorable on their webpages. In the case of sites where search terms are necessary, suggestions are provided in the description.