purpose and methods

The purpose of the Archive’s efforts is twofold: first, the archive hopes to record for posterity any and all accounts, stories and folklore of unusual experiences from the Orange/Ulster area of Upstate New York. When appropriate these accounts will be researched to gather any additional data that might benefit the understanding of the account, such as meteorological, geological and social data. Second, the body of accounts will be allocated to several groups, and statistical analysis will be applied to discern any possible patterns in regard to the physical and social aspects of the accounts.

The main vehicle to achieve the collection of accounts is a user-friendly but thorough report form, which can be downloaded through a link at the bottom of this webpage. As the Archive is designed to accommodate many theories on anomalous experiences, the questionnaire will contain a variety of questions not commonly associated with studies of anomalies. This form could be filled out in printed form and returned by ground mail, filled out electronically and returned by email, or completed verbally to a person representing the Archive. The completion of a report form may be followed up by brief additional questions designed to append the information already in the initial report. Please see the Archive’s assurance of anonymity for participants if desired, described in a separate section below.

The primary end result of the Archive’s efforts will be a database of accounts with corresponding research. This database will initially be given to a handful of investigators who are also involved in researching locations of alleged repeat anomalous activity as they would benefit the most from the Archive’s efforts, as well as as the Crawford Historical Society for those interested in the folkloric history of the area. Again it should be stressed that this database will not be made available online. It is also planned that the Archive's results will be presented in a layman-friendly book and corresponding documentary with the working title "The Pine Bush UFO History" containing an accurate history of the area's reports of aerial anomalies, as well as a discussion of what these reports may represent. In addition two book projects centric to the efforts of Archive contributor Vincent Polise titled The Pine Bush Phenomenon and The Pine Bush Chronicles will use material gathered during the Archive's efforts. This Archive website will only occasionally update with progress reports and essays on anomaly research, but regular discussion and news from the Pine Bush UFO community can be found on Facebook pages United Friends Observers Society, and The Pine Bush Phenomenon as well as the Archive's Twitter feed.