What does Researching mean?
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Our buddy Ron likes Michael Swords, as do I, and Ron likens
Michael to a “researcher.”
I have to disagree pretty much. Michael Swords writes excep- tionally well but is he doing actual research?
Is anyone?
Research means going to a place where UFOs were said to land or appeared to affect the environment. Measurements of specific kinds should be undertaken and recorded.
Witnesses need to be queried and tested perhaps for anything that might have affected their biology or whether they are in a normal state: sober, without drugs in their bodies, what foods they ate within the time frame of their observation or experience, mental condition before (and after) their experience, et cetera.
Other witnesses need to be located and tested, and other occur- rences within the time-frame need to be found if any are suspected.
The geographical area needs to be checked for any anomalies, natural or unnatural, weather conditions also.
Similar events need to be located, in the time-frame and his- torically checked.
For photographs or alleged “debris” the latest technology and analytics need to be employed coupled by some of the same activity as enumerated above.
Some pretend researchers like to say they’re gathering data, which is not what real researchers do.
Data is overt information that plugs into or has some connection to the thing (the phenomenon) being studied. This is supplemented by more ephemeral material that hovers in the vicinity of the thing (phenomenon) under scrutiny.
Data is tangible; ephemera isn’t but is integral to real research methodologies.
Research is a gathering of all information available and pertinent to that which is being studied.
Is reading a paper about UFOs research? Certainly not. Are con- versations with witnesses or participants to a UFO sighting or event research? Only if it is thorough and detailed, covering all possible relevant details, some of which are noted above.
Are so-called UFO researchers actually researchers? No. They are pretenders adopting the tag, researcher. Because it gives them cachet, false cachet but cachet of a kind.
Is Professor Swords a researcher? Not quite. Are persons who write about UFOs or the paranormal researchers? Only if they engage in the kinds of activity mentioned above.
I have to disagree pretty much. Michael Swords writes excep- tionally well but is he doing actual research?
Is anyone?
Research means going to a place where UFOs were said to land or appeared to affect the environment. Measurements of specific kinds should be undertaken and recorded.
Witnesses need to be queried and tested perhaps for anything that might have affected their biology or whether they are in a normal state: sober, without drugs in their bodies, what foods they ate within the time frame of their observation or experience, mental condition before (and after) their experience, et cetera.
Other witnesses need to be located and tested, and other occur- rences within the time-frame need to be found if any are suspected.
The geographical area needs to be checked for any anomalies, natural or unnatural, weather conditions also.
Similar events need to be located, in the time-frame and his- torically checked.
For photographs or alleged “debris” the latest technology and analytics need to be employed coupled by some of the same activity as enumerated above.
Some pretend researchers like to say they’re gathering data, which is not what real researchers do.
Data is overt information that plugs into or has some connection to the thing (the phenomenon) being studied. This is supplemented by more ephemeral material that hovers in the vicinity of the thing (phenomenon) under scrutiny.
Data is tangible; ephemera isn’t but is integral to real research methodologies.
Research is a gathering of all information available and pertinent to that which is being studied.
Is reading a paper about UFOs research? Certainly not. Are con- versations with witnesses or participants to a UFO sighting or event research? Only if it is thorough and detailed, covering all possible relevant details, some of which are noted above.
Are so-called UFO researchers actually researchers? No. They are pretenders adopting the tag, researcher. Because it gives them cachet, false cachet but cachet of a kind.
Is Professor Swords a researcher? Not quite. Are persons who write about UFOs or the paranormal researchers? Only if they engage in the kinds of activity mentioned above.
Is there real research going on with the UFO phenomenon? Inside some “secret” venue but not in the UFO community itself. Not even rarely.
The Craft of Research [Fourth Edition] by Booth, Colomb, Williams. Bizup. And Fitzgerald [The University of Chicago Press, 2016 to date] has been elucidated at this blog before and remains a concise primer of what constitutes research.
Try getting your hands on a copy so you aren’t wowed by pretenders.
(Image atop from QuestionPro)
RR
RR
posted by RRRGroup at
Monday, November 28, 2022
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