Scientific Ufology: How the Application of Scientific Methodology Can Analyze, Illuminate, and Prove the Reality of UFOs

Coauthor with Dennis Schmitt of UFO Crash at Roswell and The Truth About the UFO Crash at Roswell, Randle is a big name in the study of UFOs. Here, the retired air force captain issues a plea for scientific rigor. Laying out a sound method for UFO research is important, he writes, because government-sponsored projects have a history of bias, creating a need for neutral studies. Randle's criteria for what constitutes a sighting worthy of investigation include eyewitness testimony (preferably by multiple witnesses in different locations) photographic evidence and written documentation (most valuable if recorded immediately or within a very short time of the event). Randle then recounts 15 cases of sightings that he contends meet his criteria. These studies comprise the bulk of the book as Randle provides painstaking critiques of the investigations conducted in each case, poking holes in the findings of government officials and commissions. Randle takes pains to appear disinterested: ""There is no evidence that conclusively proves that UFOs represent alien visitation,"" he writes in the book's final chapter. ""There is, however, a great deal of evidence that is suggestive of that conclusion."" Randle is an expert at bringing the language of science to the topic of UFOs. The problem is that methodology is dry stuff to begin with, and Randle, almost as if he thought a little color would diminish his credibility, makes no attempt to liven things up. (Sept.)