Development, Dissemination, and Revision of Good Scientific Practice for Research on UAP

Abstract

Research on UAP experiences, especially in the form of a single case study or investigation, is primarily conducted by lay or citizen scientists worldwide. There is a need for responsible and methodically justified research to be established to receive verifiable, comparable work results and to ensure ethically conscientious interactions with other researchers and experience reporters. In this article, principles of good scientific practice for research on UAP in Germany are presented. In part, these principles are derived from existing professional norms, but they are further specified for UAP research. Predecessors of the principles are identified; then the process of their development and different stages of review are described. Furthermore, the application of the principles and their revision process are discussed. The paper concludes with the presentation of the research principles in the current version. In conclusion, the establishment and application of such principles can improve the quality of research conducted by volunteering individuals or non-profit organizations and thus generate better data on UAP.