Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs) Research Paper

BACKGROUND

Since June 1947, when a pilot reported seeing a silvery saucer-shaped ball speeding over the Cascade Mountains of Washington State, UFOs, or flying saucers, have been a hotly debated topic. Alleged encounters have run the gamut from friendly to hostile, including abductions. Although the U.S. government and the majority of the scientific community believe there is no solid evidence of the existence of UFOs, many others are convinced of their reality.

BROWSE FOR BOOKS ON THE SHELF USING THESE CALL NUMBERS

001.9

001.74

133.03

LOOK UNDER THE FOLLOWING SUBJECTS IN THE CATALOG (CARD OR COMPUTER)

Unidentified flying objects

Flying saucers

USE PAMPHLET FILE (ALSO CALLED VERTICAL FILE) UNDER THE HEADINGS

Unidentified flying objects

UFOs

REFERENCE MATERIALS THAT MAY HELP (BOOKS OR CD-ROMS)

Makower, Joel, and Marilyn Fenichel, eds. The Air and Space Catalog: The Complete Source Book to Everything in the Universe, 1989.

Mysteries of Mind, Space and Time: The Unexplained. H. S. Stuttman, 1992.

The New Book of Popular Science. Grolier, 1994.

PERIODICAL INDEXES TO SEARCH (BOOKS OR CD-ROMS)

EBSCO Magazine Article Summaries

InfoTrac

NewsBank and other newspaper indexes

Readers’ Guide to Periodical Literature

SIRS (Social Issues Resources Series)

WILSONDISC

ONLINE DATABASES TO SEARCH

America Online

CompuServe
Dialog

Internet

Prodigy

KEY WORDS AND DESCRIPTORS FOR PERIODICAL INDEX AND ONLINE SEARCHES

Unidentified flying objects

UFOs

Flying saucers

Extraterrestrial beings

Roswell incident

VIDEOTAPES ON THIS TOPIC

Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Columbia Pictures Home Entertainment, 1980.

UFOs: Are We Alone? Vestron Video, 1988.

UFOs: The Unsolved Mystery. Seligman Productions, 1989.

FICTION BOOKS RELATING TO TOPIC

Chetwin, Grace. Collidescope, 1990.

Goodwin, Godfrey. The Janissaries, 1943. (adult)

Spielberg, Steven. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 1977.

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO CONTACT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Fair-Witness Project, 4219 W. Olive St., Burbank, CA 91505.

Fund for UFO Research, P.O. Box 277, Mt. Rainier, MD 20712.

SUGGESTIONS FOR NARROWING THIS TOPIC

Analyze reported encounters for consistencies.

Discuss possible governmental coverups.

Investigate current research into UFOs.

Report on one or more specific cases of alleged encounters; e.g., Roswell, NM, in 1947 or Hillsdale, MI, in 1966.

SUGGESTIONS FOR RELATED TOPICS

False memory syndrome

Life on other planets

Unidentified submarine objects

This RESEARCH TOPIC GUIDE is intended to help the library user find information and materials on a particular topic in many sources throughout the library. Resources on this topic are not limited to those described and availability will depend upon the individual library. Feel free to ask a librarian for assistance.