I recently finished reading "The Flying Saucers Are Real" by Donald Kehoe again, and it amazed me how much of what was stated in his book is still relevant today. It also reminded me of how important it is review old reports, publications, and books periodically to refresh ones knowledge base.
With a steady stream of cases constantly coming in, it is easy to get caught up in the workload and dismiss already closed cases. However the smart investigator will learn how to cross-reference cases in the database by date, characteristics, description, size, and other details. Just as important is knowing if there were similar sightings or events in the past.
This is why reading is so important. I know I've written about it's importance before, but I can't stress enough how truly important building your knowledge base is in this field. Fortunately we live in a digital age now, which makes it a whole lot easier to find some of the old, and very important works in the field of UFOlogy. I know that a lot of the old books are out of print now, which can make the costs of the hard copy, or book as we old dinosaurs like to call them, prohibitive in many instances. I know that a copy of one of Wendell Stevens books which is out of print now, sold on Amazon for around $1,400...a little more than I like to pay myself. Fortunately though, you can find the eBook version for a significantly lower price.
Another very valuable tool is built right in to the MUFON website, but I bet it is overlooked by a lot of investigators. Under the 'Research' menu, one can find a list of famous UFO cases that can be reviewed, and under the 'Track UFOs' menu, one can search the UFO Database, even if you are not a member of MUFON! Trust me, the database is a gold mine of information if one takes the time to look through it. Not all of the cases reported to MUFON over the years are entered in to it yet, but they are working on it.
It is critical if you want to become the best Field Investigator that you can be, to learn from the people before you. So much hard work has been done over the years by volunteers using their own finances, and I'm pretty sure that they did it with the intent of having the information available for others to use and learn from. It would be a shame not to make use of their valuable contributions.
I hope this issue sparks your desire to read some of the older accounts in the field of UFOlogy, and I hope you all enjoy your research as much as I do! Don't forget to share this issue, and come back next week for the next issue!
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Issue #32 Special Issue #2 The State Of the Onion
Every year the President of the United States gives a speech that is known as the 'State Of the Union Address', which basically sums up how the country is doing as a whole. Being as I've yet to hear such a speech that included one word about UFOs, or the cover-up that has been in place since World War 2, I assumed that I was never really hearing the whole story. In fact, I believe that most people have just taken it for granted that there is a large portion of the machinations of government that they're not supposed to know about because it's 'Top Secret'! On the other hand, some of us (especially me) view all rumors of any kind of responsible government, or a government that represents me (and everyone else) in any way, shape or form, as being either 1) a simple misidentification, or 2) a lot of swamp gas.
When a person first starts reading about UFOs, be it at whatever level of interest, it doesn't take very long to realize that whatever your beliefs on the subject may be, the subject itself is very complex, and in fact the more research you do, the more layers are revealed...just like an onion. So with that in mind, I'd like to submit to my readers what I intend to be an annual issue that sums up where we stand to date in the field of UFOlogy: The State Of the Onion.
Please forgive me if I sound like I'm parroting other UFOlogists. When a person researches or investigates something for a really long time, it's only natural that they would come to a few conclusions, so if you hear the same thing coming from a few different people, you might want to pay attention. You should also keep in mind that this is as I see it, and in my opinion...and I am not the final word on the subject matter, so please, let it inspire to do more research on your own.
UFOs are real. Not everything that is reported is an intelligently controlled craft from another world, however some are. Obviously not every sighting report is of an 'unknown'. Most are simply misidentification of either unfamiliar aircraft, or some type of natural phenomenon. Their appearance is not anything new, and has been recorded throughout history, although not always interpreted accurately. In fact it is only in recent history that they have been viewed with any type of fear, a probable result of the disinformation campaign and cover-up that has been in place since World War 2.
Although there are reports over the ages of the appearance of what we would today call UFOs, most researchers would agree that since the development of atomic weapons, the frequency of sightings has risen. The number of sightings around atomic bomb tests, nuclear missile silos, and nuclear testing facilities would seem to indicate a more than passing interest in our use of nuclear energy, and who can say whether or not their direct interaction with our nuclear arsenal has directly saved us from a nuclear holocaust or not! It doesn't take a genius to figure out that maybe they don't want bullies such as ourselves running around their neighborhood with a bunch of atom bombs!
Do these visitors from elsewhere take people from time to time for whatever purposes we've yet to deduce? I can only say yes. Do I know for what reason? No. I can only conclude from the cases I've researched, and the experiencers that I personally know and have talked to that it is a real phenomenon, and that is about all I, or anyone else that I'm aware of can honestly tell you. The same thing goes for the cattle mutilation phenomenon. I know it is real, I suspect it is tied to the UFO/alien phenomenon, but that is all I can say for sure, I can't give you the answer to the question: Why?
It is also apparent that there are more than one type, or species of alien visiting us, and just like you and I don't drive the same kind of car, they don't all come in the same type of spaceship. It is also probably a safe bet that they didn't cross interstellar distances in the equivalent of a Volkswagen, but rather something more akin to an aircraft carrier. That would also explain the occasional reports of super-sized craft, with smaller craft entering or exiting them.
Since our planet is 70% water, a ridiculous amount of which we know nothing about, it is conceivable that any visitors from another planet would be able to set up a base of operations underwater, and would most likely be able to remain undetected. Such an endeavor would be childs play to any spacefaring race capable of traveling interstellar distances through the vacuum of space!
What about communication with alien races? Well, for some it has already happened. If any of the experiencers are to be believed, and I think we'd be fools not to, there has already been communication between our species. Some of the 'messages' have even been relayed to us, and while they might seem simplistic, they are also profound. We are the custodians of this planet. We are guardians of the life here, and we are here to protect the other species and to care for them, not kill them. There are many different species throughout the universe, and we must learn the lessons of diversity and stewardship.
There has also been a very clear message sent to halt our usage of atomic weapons, and our pollution of the environment from nuclear waste. We still do not understand the environmental impact it has, and how badly we are damaging the environment for future generations. I believe it to be of universal concern how we deal with this issue.
So how does this relate to our government? Well, this issue might be called 'The State Of the Onion" but when it comes to our government and the subject of UFOs...it seems like we are all fungi because we are constantly kept in the dark, and fed pure manure. Anyone who thinks I'm wrong is more than welcome to try to explain why FOIA requests written to various government entities enquiring about the subject of UFOs, come back redacted with either black marker or White Out. If they even honor your request.
Do I think 'disclosure' will ever happen? Wake up. It's been happening for almost ten years now! If you're waiting for some talking head at a podium, don't hold your breath. That would be way to messy. It can only happen the way it is happening. One drip at a time. Too many people have too much to lose for it to happen any other way.
See you next week with another installment! Don't forget to share with your friends!
When a person first starts reading about UFOs, be it at whatever level of interest, it doesn't take very long to realize that whatever your beliefs on the subject may be, the subject itself is very complex, and in fact the more research you do, the more layers are revealed...just like an onion. So with that in mind, I'd like to submit to my readers what I intend to be an annual issue that sums up where we stand to date in the field of UFOlogy: The State Of the Onion.
Please forgive me if I sound like I'm parroting other UFOlogists. When a person researches or investigates something for a really long time, it's only natural that they would come to a few conclusions, so if you hear the same thing coming from a few different people, you might want to pay attention. You should also keep in mind that this is as I see it, and in my opinion...and I am not the final word on the subject matter, so please, let it inspire to do more research on your own.
UFOs are real. Not everything that is reported is an intelligently controlled craft from another world, however some are. Obviously not every sighting report is of an 'unknown'. Most are simply misidentification of either unfamiliar aircraft, or some type of natural phenomenon. Their appearance is not anything new, and has been recorded throughout history, although not always interpreted accurately. In fact it is only in recent history that they have been viewed with any type of fear, a probable result of the disinformation campaign and cover-up that has been in place since World War 2.
Although there are reports over the ages of the appearance of what we would today call UFOs, most researchers would agree that since the development of atomic weapons, the frequency of sightings has risen. The number of sightings around atomic bomb tests, nuclear missile silos, and nuclear testing facilities would seem to indicate a more than passing interest in our use of nuclear energy, and who can say whether or not their direct interaction with our nuclear arsenal has directly saved us from a nuclear holocaust or not! It doesn't take a genius to figure out that maybe they don't want bullies such as ourselves running around their neighborhood with a bunch of atom bombs!
Do these visitors from elsewhere take people from time to time for whatever purposes we've yet to deduce? I can only say yes. Do I know for what reason? No. I can only conclude from the cases I've researched, and the experiencers that I personally know and have talked to that it is a real phenomenon, and that is about all I, or anyone else that I'm aware of can honestly tell you. The same thing goes for the cattle mutilation phenomenon. I know it is real, I suspect it is tied to the UFO/alien phenomenon, but that is all I can say for sure, I can't give you the answer to the question: Why?
It is also apparent that there are more than one type, or species of alien visiting us, and just like you and I don't drive the same kind of car, they don't all come in the same type of spaceship. It is also probably a safe bet that they didn't cross interstellar distances in the equivalent of a Volkswagen, but rather something more akin to an aircraft carrier. That would also explain the occasional reports of super-sized craft, with smaller craft entering or exiting them.
Since our planet is 70% water, a ridiculous amount of which we know nothing about, it is conceivable that any visitors from another planet would be able to set up a base of operations underwater, and would most likely be able to remain undetected. Such an endeavor would be childs play to any spacefaring race capable of traveling interstellar distances through the vacuum of space!
What about communication with alien races? Well, for some it has already happened. If any of the experiencers are to be believed, and I think we'd be fools not to, there has already been communication between our species. Some of the 'messages' have even been relayed to us, and while they might seem simplistic, they are also profound. We are the custodians of this planet. We are guardians of the life here, and we are here to protect the other species and to care for them, not kill them. There are many different species throughout the universe, and we must learn the lessons of diversity and stewardship.
There has also been a very clear message sent to halt our usage of atomic weapons, and our pollution of the environment from nuclear waste. We still do not understand the environmental impact it has, and how badly we are damaging the environment for future generations. I believe it to be of universal concern how we deal with this issue.
So how does this relate to our government? Well, this issue might be called 'The State Of the Onion" but when it comes to our government and the subject of UFOs...it seems like we are all fungi because we are constantly kept in the dark, and fed pure manure. Anyone who thinks I'm wrong is more than welcome to try to explain why FOIA requests written to various government entities enquiring about the subject of UFOs, come back redacted with either black marker or White Out. If they even honor your request.
Do I think 'disclosure' will ever happen? Wake up. It's been happening for almost ten years now! If you're waiting for some talking head at a podium, don't hold your breath. That would be way to messy. It can only happen the way it is happening. One drip at a time. Too many people have too much to lose for it to happen any other way.
See you next week with another installment! Don't forget to share with your friends!
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Issue #31: Trace Evidence: Soil
As Field Investigators we all want to see a case come along with the evidence to prove the involvement of a UFO. We also know how very rare that opportunity could be. Realistically speaking, one might never run across such a case themselves, but when you do, how do you go about collecting the evidence properly, so as to not contaminate it, and to preserve it for analysis. In this issue I'm going to focus on soil evidence, and the best way to collect and transport it.
I find the effects on soil to be very fascinating, especially in the cases where the soil has become 'baked', and is unable to retain water. When you have the two different types of soil side by side, the difference is visible and very striking. Let me assure you, I am not a scientist, but you really don't have to be to see the dramatic difference in the appearance of the soil. If anyone would like to see a great picture of the differences in the soils from a well researched case, if you get a copy of "Left At East Gate" by Peter Robbins and Larry Warren, in the photo section in the book is a picture of the soil samples that Peter collected from Capel Green, in the Rendlesham Forest. As you can see from the photo the differences are striking.
When you are faced with a case that has possible soil evidence, the best way to collect the soil samples is to get a bunch of 1 foot sections of PVC pipe, and end caps for both ends. What you will want to do is drive each PVC section into the ground at least 4-6 inches, starting at the center of your investigation grid in a straight line outward, driving them in about every 1-2 feet, depending on the size of your grid. You will want to get control samples as well, so you will want to extend your line an equidistance outside your grid so you have the same number of control samples.
Carefully remove eace PVC section, capping both ends, and marking all the information on the section in Sharpie or marker. You will want to include the number of the sample, the date and time, who retrieved the sample, and the case number. Remember to log each sample in your evidence log, and to keep track of the chain of custody if you hand it over to anyone else.
If you follow these steps, you can rest assured that you will have a properly retrieved soil sample.
I hope this helps some of you in your investigations, and don't forget to share and come back next week for more!
I find the effects on soil to be very fascinating, especially in the cases where the soil has become 'baked', and is unable to retain water. When you have the two different types of soil side by side, the difference is visible and very striking. Let me assure you, I am not a scientist, but you really don't have to be to see the dramatic difference in the appearance of the soil. If anyone would like to see a great picture of the differences in the soils from a well researched case, if you get a copy of "Left At East Gate" by Peter Robbins and Larry Warren, in the photo section in the book is a picture of the soil samples that Peter collected from Capel Green, in the Rendlesham Forest. As you can see from the photo the differences are striking.
When you are faced with a case that has possible soil evidence, the best way to collect the soil samples is to get a bunch of 1 foot sections of PVC pipe, and end caps for both ends. What you will want to do is drive each PVC section into the ground at least 4-6 inches, starting at the center of your investigation grid in a straight line outward, driving them in about every 1-2 feet, depending on the size of your grid. You will want to get control samples as well, so you will want to extend your line an equidistance outside your grid so you have the same number of control samples.
Carefully remove eace PVC section, capping both ends, and marking all the information on the section in Sharpie or marker. You will want to include the number of the sample, the date and time, who retrieved the sample, and the case number. Remember to log each sample in your evidence log, and to keep track of the chain of custody if you hand it over to anyone else.
If you follow these steps, you can rest assured that you will have a properly retrieved soil sample.
I hope this helps some of you in your investigations, and don't forget to share and come back next week for more!
Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Issue #30: The Santa Tracker
"The Field Investigator's Tool Box" would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I know young one's will be watching the skies tonight, and as aid for them here are the links for the two most popular "Santa Trackers" on the internet. Merry Christmas to all!
http://www.noradsanta.org/
https://santatracker.google.com/#tracker
http://www.noradsanta.org/
https://santatracker.google.com/#tracker
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Issue #29: More On Drones
A few months ago I wrote about the uses of drones for an investigation in Issue #14. While it's true they can be very useful in an investigation, there is another side to drones that I didn't mention, but which is equally as important to know about, and that is how often they are misidentified as something else.
Let me be clear; until I really started learning about drones, I too thought it was virtually impossible to confuse a drone with an airplane or even a UFO. You can imagine my surprise when I found out differently. Even after I was aware of their capabilities, and the multitude of different types of drones, I was still fooled (albeit temporarily) recently by a very good drone with an exceptional pilot...MUFON's own Marc D'Antonio. Of course the flight was part of our training, and it was very valuable too, as everyone at that nights skywatch was starting to believe we were looking at something truly amazing.
At first it looked just like any of the many other planes that had flown over the area. But then it started making movements that we knew couldn't be attributed to any normal aircraft, and it appeared to be dancing in the sky over an area of many miles. That is the problem with trying to identify something at night by just a moving light. If you don't know the size of the object, or it's altitude, movements can appear very dramatic, and appear to cover much more distance than they actually do. I was just starting to get to the 'well maybe' stage of my observation when I heard the drones motor. Up to that point I was truly puzzled.
Naturally the first thought in my head would have been 'drone', however since we were in the middle of the Sonora Desert, it seemed less likely that it was some neighborhood kid flying his toy. I'm sure you can see though how important it is to have a very good knowledge of the drones available now, and their characteristics.
So, knowing how easy it is to misidentify itty-bitty lights in the sky, you can imagine my horror when while shopping at the local Ralphs, I see a pyramid of square boxes in the holiday gift isle, with the catchy sign above them "Robotic UFO" and the low price of $25. Immediately my first thought was; "well, this should increase reports to MUFON significantly." Of course I had to buy one on the spot so I would know what to be on the lookout for. I even made a post on Facebook about it, and said that I would post pictures soon. Well, not to worry, this particular drone is not going to be too much of a distraction due to it's poor flight ability. Indoors it's great, outdoors not so good. Although it claims to have enough power to go high, I found that it barely could get to rooftop level, and the flashing blue light was so weak that I didn't even bother to take a picture.
Although this particular model was not anything that I think would be easily misidentified, there are plenty of them out there that can, and will be. A quick visit on the amazon.com website and a search for drones will yield 65,285 results, so yes they are out there. A similar search on Youtube will get you 789,000 hits. While I would not tell anyone to watch them all, I would at least hope that any Field Investigators would take the time to watch as many of the videos as they can, so they are aware of what it is that some of our witnesses are seeing in our nighttime sky.
Come back next week for a special "Christmas Issue", and don't forget to share with all your friends. Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from The Field Investigator's Tool Box!
Let me be clear; until I really started learning about drones, I too thought it was virtually impossible to confuse a drone with an airplane or even a UFO. You can imagine my surprise when I found out differently. Even after I was aware of their capabilities, and the multitude of different types of drones, I was still fooled (albeit temporarily) recently by a very good drone with an exceptional pilot...MUFON's own Marc D'Antonio. Of course the flight was part of our training, and it was very valuable too, as everyone at that nights skywatch was starting to believe we were looking at something truly amazing.
At first it looked just like any of the many other planes that had flown over the area. But then it started making movements that we knew couldn't be attributed to any normal aircraft, and it appeared to be dancing in the sky over an area of many miles. That is the problem with trying to identify something at night by just a moving light. If you don't know the size of the object, or it's altitude, movements can appear very dramatic, and appear to cover much more distance than they actually do. I was just starting to get to the 'well maybe' stage of my observation when I heard the drones motor. Up to that point I was truly puzzled.
Marc D'Antonio with his "FLIR Equipped Drone" that fooled us.
Naturally the first thought in my head would have been 'drone', however since we were in the middle of the Sonora Desert, it seemed less likely that it was some neighborhood kid flying his toy. I'm sure you can see though how important it is to have a very good knowledge of the drones available now, and their characteristics.
So, knowing how easy it is to misidentify itty-bitty lights in the sky, you can imagine my horror when while shopping at the local Ralphs, I see a pyramid of square boxes in the holiday gift isle, with the catchy sign above them "Robotic UFO" and the low price of $25. Immediately my first thought was; "well, this should increase reports to MUFON significantly." Of course I had to buy one on the spot so I would know what to be on the lookout for. I even made a post on Facebook about it, and said that I would post pictures soon. Well, not to worry, this particular drone is not going to be too much of a distraction due to it's poor flight ability. Indoors it's great, outdoors not so good. Although it claims to have enough power to go high, I found that it barely could get to rooftop level, and the flashing blue light was so weak that I didn't even bother to take a picture.
Although this particular model was not anything that I think would be easily misidentified, there are plenty of them out there that can, and will be. A quick visit on the amazon.com website and a search for drones will yield 65,285 results, so yes they are out there. A similar search on Youtube will get you 789,000 hits. While I would not tell anyone to watch them all, I would at least hope that any Field Investigators would take the time to watch as many of the videos as they can, so they are aware of what it is that some of our witnesses are seeing in our nighttime sky.
Come back next week for a special "Christmas Issue", and don't forget to share with all your friends. Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah from The Field Investigator's Tool Box!
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Issue #28: Verification
It is no secret that the world of UFOlogy is plagued with stories that are...well, less than accurate. As investigators, we should indeed keep an open mind while receiving all reports, and doing an investigation, but there does come a time when you must verify the information you've been given.
MUFON is the world's number 1 scientific investigator of UFOs...not a spreader of fantastical stories. For some reason some people seem to think that if they spread some wild tale that could almost be believable they are helping the cause. Nothing could be further from the truth. Because of the massive disinformation campaign that has been in place for over 60 years some people are not aware of the good, factual cases. When hoaxes surface the common reaction amongst most folks is to think that perhaps all UFO reports could be just as easily explained away. It is just as important for us to weed out these cases, as it is to investigate the real cases. A level of credibility must be maintained if we are to be believed when we finally do have "a smoking gun". So how should an investigator go about this?
Of course the best starting point is the witness, as outlined last week. If your witness is verified then it is a good first step towards verifying their account. There are some good websites that can provide you with most of the information you need about your witness, however they usually are not free. I like using mylife.com, but intellius.com is pretty good as well.
This brings us to the other elements of any account that would naturally need to be verified as well. Obviously any photographs or videos presented in connection with a sighting would need to be verified extensively. Fortunately all digital photographs include EXIF data, which can be used to tell if a picture has been altered in any way. Google provides some excellent image analysis tools too, which can tell you if the image really came from somewhere else. Google Image Search is an extension for the Chrome Browser which will find every example of a picture that is on the internet just by right-clicking on the picture. Google Reverse Image Search is another similar tool, and both should be used to do a thorough search of an image.
Video is also so easy to manipulate these days (just browse Youtube if in doubt) that anyone can produce a video of something that looks like a UFO. Fortunately, these are just as easy to distinguish if one just takes the time to analyze each frame. Usually this will require the purchase of a higher-end video editing app or software, but again the price is well worth the tools you will acquire. I personally use the Adobe Creative Cloud, which has every app that anyone could ever use for any type of image processing. I find Adobe Premier to be very useful with video analysis, but I also use Final Cut Pro as well.
If you can verify the identity of the witness, and the photos and videos that they submit along with their account as being valid, then you are well on your way to establishing a good case.
Come back next week for more, and don't forget to share with all your friends!
MUFON is the world's number 1 scientific investigator of UFOs...not a spreader of fantastical stories. For some reason some people seem to think that if they spread some wild tale that could almost be believable they are helping the cause. Nothing could be further from the truth. Because of the massive disinformation campaign that has been in place for over 60 years some people are not aware of the good, factual cases. When hoaxes surface the common reaction amongst most folks is to think that perhaps all UFO reports could be just as easily explained away. It is just as important for us to weed out these cases, as it is to investigate the real cases. A level of credibility must be maintained if we are to be believed when we finally do have "a smoking gun". So how should an investigator go about this?
Of course the best starting point is the witness, as outlined last week. If your witness is verified then it is a good first step towards verifying their account. There are some good websites that can provide you with most of the information you need about your witness, however they usually are not free. I like using mylife.com, but intellius.com is pretty good as well.
This brings us to the other elements of any account that would naturally need to be verified as well. Obviously any photographs or videos presented in connection with a sighting would need to be verified extensively. Fortunately all digital photographs include EXIF data, which can be used to tell if a picture has been altered in any way. Google provides some excellent image analysis tools too, which can tell you if the image really came from somewhere else. Google Image Search is an extension for the Chrome Browser which will find every example of a picture that is on the internet just by right-clicking on the picture. Google Reverse Image Search is another similar tool, and both should be used to do a thorough search of an image.
Video is also so easy to manipulate these days (just browse Youtube if in doubt) that anyone can produce a video of something that looks like a UFO. Fortunately, these are just as easy to distinguish if one just takes the time to analyze each frame. Usually this will require the purchase of a higher-end video editing app or software, but again the price is well worth the tools you will acquire. I personally use the Adobe Creative Cloud, which has every app that anyone could ever use for any type of image processing. I find Adobe Premier to be very useful with video analysis, but I also use Final Cut Pro as well.
If you can verify the identity of the witness, and the photos and videos that they submit along with their account as being valid, then you are well on your way to establishing a good case.
Come back next week for more, and don't forget to share with all your friends!
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Issue #27: Interviewing The Witness
After hearing feedback from other attendees of the MUFON Field Investigator's Boot Camp, I realized that there was a need to cover the subject of interviewing the witness. Of course as we all know there are two types of interviews; by telephone, and in person. In this issue we are going to talk about the telephone interview, since it is the method most investigators will use the most. "In person" interviews work best with two investigators working together, and there is a lot more to it, so I will cover it at a future time.
The most common mistake an investigator can make is to go into the phone interview as if it was just a normal conversation. It is not. The smartest thing one can do is to be fully prepared before you even pick up the phone.
The first thing that I like to do is type the address where the sighting occurred into the Google Maps, and get a good look at the area. Then I take it down to Street View and move around a bit to see what the neighborhood looks like. It is extremely helpful to try to put yourself in the location the sighting occurred while reading the account. It really helps an investigator to visualize the setting of the sighting.
After that I like to do what I call a "Social Media Search" for the witness. You won't believe how many times I've found an "anonymous" witness who's account was perhaps a little less believable, only to find them calling all sorts of attention to themselves on Facebook over the incident, often times even contradicting what they would say in their report to MUFON, so it's worth taking the time to look and see what they are saying about the incident, if anything.
Next I do a legitimate background check on the witness, just to verify their personal information that they have supplied. If none of their personal information matches up, chances are their account won't either, so save yourself a lot of time and verify who they are right off the bat.
Then it never hurts to check out the website of the local news, or newspapers for the day of the sighting to see if anything might have occurred that could have been misidentified. I also always check out the weather data for the day in question before hand. That way if the witness says that it was a clear night out, and you know that it was cloudy and overcast, you have something to check and see if it might have led to the sighting. Remember, witness memory can be faulty, so the more information you have before you talk to them, the better off you will be.
When you feel that you have fully prepared yourself, then it is time to call the witness. I myself like to use Skype when interviewing a witness because it has a Call Recorder App that does a great job of recording the conversation. This is useful in a lot of cases because then the recording can undergo Voice Stress Analysis, which is just as good as a lie detector in most instances. The other advantage of using Skype is that then your witness will not have your personal phone number unless you give it to them.
It is very important to remember to always be courteous when on the phone with a witness. Keep in mind that you are representing MUFON, and be as professional as possible at all times. NEVER record a witness without their permission! Always ask permission twice...once before recording, and then again when you start recording. Make sure that you have both, you asking permission, and them giving permission on your recording. Then you will want to state your name, MUFON I.D. number, the date, and the time. Obviously there is no need to record every witness interview. You will have to use your judgement depending on the details of the case as to whether it warrants recording or not.
Having a list of questions already made up is a great tool, You also want to think of different ways to ask the same question. It's just one more way to check and see if witness statements are consistent, and the witness doesn't contradict themselves.
I like to start by having the witness give an account of what happened again verbally, to see if it matches what they wrote in the report, keeping an eye out for any differences. Try to not interrupt, but take notes of questions you will have for them afterwards. The witness might pause as if waiting for a verbal cue to continue, and it's okay to encourage them on, but avoid leading the witness at all costs! Let them tell the story...don't ever provide details for them. You also don't want to sound too excited about anything they might say, even if inside you're whooping with joy because you just discovered the holy grail of UFOlogy. It will not help the case if the witness gets the wrong impression, and then starts making the details fit what they think you want to hear.
Make sure that you have all your questions answered to your satisfaction before you end the interview. Chances are you will not be talking to the witness again, so make sure you have all of the information that you need from them while you have them on the phone. Also be sure to thank them for their assistance with the case. You do not want to give them the impression that you will be calling them back with the results of your investigation. You can let them know that they will be able to find out the case outcome on the MUFON website if they wish.
I hope this helps those of you who had questions about conducting witness interviews. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email me and I will do my best to answer them for you. Come back next week for more, and don't forget to share!
The most common mistake an investigator can make is to go into the phone interview as if it was just a normal conversation. It is not. The smartest thing one can do is to be fully prepared before you even pick up the phone.
The first thing that I like to do is type the address where the sighting occurred into the Google Maps, and get a good look at the area. Then I take it down to Street View and move around a bit to see what the neighborhood looks like. It is extremely helpful to try to put yourself in the location the sighting occurred while reading the account. It really helps an investigator to visualize the setting of the sighting.
After that I like to do what I call a "Social Media Search" for the witness. You won't believe how many times I've found an "anonymous" witness who's account was perhaps a little less believable, only to find them calling all sorts of attention to themselves on Facebook over the incident, often times even contradicting what they would say in their report to MUFON, so it's worth taking the time to look and see what they are saying about the incident, if anything.
Next I do a legitimate background check on the witness, just to verify their personal information that they have supplied. If none of their personal information matches up, chances are their account won't either, so save yourself a lot of time and verify who they are right off the bat.
Then it never hurts to check out the website of the local news, or newspapers for the day of the sighting to see if anything might have occurred that could have been misidentified. I also always check out the weather data for the day in question before hand. That way if the witness says that it was a clear night out, and you know that it was cloudy and overcast, you have something to check and see if it might have led to the sighting. Remember, witness memory can be faulty, so the more information you have before you talk to them, the better off you will be.
When you feel that you have fully prepared yourself, then it is time to call the witness. I myself like to use Skype when interviewing a witness because it has a Call Recorder App that does a great job of recording the conversation. This is useful in a lot of cases because then the recording can undergo Voice Stress Analysis, which is just as good as a lie detector in most instances. The other advantage of using Skype is that then your witness will not have your personal phone number unless you give it to them.
It is very important to remember to always be courteous when on the phone with a witness. Keep in mind that you are representing MUFON, and be as professional as possible at all times. NEVER record a witness without their permission! Always ask permission twice...once before recording, and then again when you start recording. Make sure that you have both, you asking permission, and them giving permission on your recording. Then you will want to state your name, MUFON I.D. number, the date, and the time. Obviously there is no need to record every witness interview. You will have to use your judgement depending on the details of the case as to whether it warrants recording or not.
Having a list of questions already made up is a great tool, You also want to think of different ways to ask the same question. It's just one more way to check and see if witness statements are consistent, and the witness doesn't contradict themselves.
I like to start by having the witness give an account of what happened again verbally, to see if it matches what they wrote in the report, keeping an eye out for any differences. Try to not interrupt, but take notes of questions you will have for them afterwards. The witness might pause as if waiting for a verbal cue to continue, and it's okay to encourage them on, but avoid leading the witness at all costs! Let them tell the story...don't ever provide details for them. You also don't want to sound too excited about anything they might say, even if inside you're whooping with joy because you just discovered the holy grail of UFOlogy. It will not help the case if the witness gets the wrong impression, and then starts making the details fit what they think you want to hear.
Make sure that you have all your questions answered to your satisfaction before you end the interview. Chances are you will not be talking to the witness again, so make sure you have all of the information that you need from them while you have them on the phone. Also be sure to thank them for their assistance with the case. You do not want to give them the impression that you will be calling them back with the results of your investigation. You can let them know that they will be able to find out the case outcome on the MUFON website if they wish.
I hope this helps those of you who had questions about conducting witness interviews. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to email me and I will do my best to answer them for you. Come back next week for more, and don't forget to share!
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