EWT02

Magazine Overview

This document is a NOTICE from the GROUPE DE TRAVAIL EUROPEEN (EUROPEAN WORKING TEAM - EWT), dated December 1981. It is produced by GESAG and edited by Jacques BONABOT. The notice serves as a communication channel for members and collaborators, featuring updates, research contributions, and administrative information.

Key Contributions and Research

International Collaboration and Research

The notice highlights contributions from overseas researchers Ted Bloecher and Keith Basterfield. Maurizio Verga, an EWT member, facilitated the connection, informing them about the EWT's existence. Bloecher and Basterfield are involved in studying global entity cases, with Basterfield having compiled a 110-page study on 67 Australian CE3 cases since 1868. He is particularly interested in abduction cases from Australia and is willing to share his study. Basterfield is also the MUFON Continental coordinator in Australia.

The Australian Entity Study Group (AESG)

A significant portion of the document details the AESG, formed in early 1977. The AESG's aim is to investigate UFO entity reports, publish summaries, and distribute detailed case documents to researchers. They have produced several case documents and compiled a database of 105 entity-type reports. A key output is "An Australian catalogue of close encounter type three reports" and its supplements. The AESG has also indexed these events and stored them on a TANDY RADIO SHACK TRS-80 microcomputer for easy retrieval. A new entity report form has been developed to improve data collection.

Catalogues and Listings

'Catalogue of 'Negative' Landing Reports in the Iberian Peninsula': This list compiles alleged type-1 UFO cases and other strange phenomena reported in Spain and Portugal since 1900 that have been explained in conventional terms. The information includes date, time, location, Spanish province, type of explanation, and researcher or source.

'A Listing of Australian Type 1 Events': Compiled by Keith Basterfield, this listing focuses on Australian events that fit Vallée's classification of type 1 events (object on or near the ground, maximum of tree height). The initial collection of 560 events was reduced to over 100. This is presented as a first step towards analysis, aiming to record accurate basic details directly from Australian UFO research organizations.

Research Methodologies and Classifications

'Some Brief Notes on HUMCAT': Ted Bloecher describes the development of the "Hum.Cat" database, which started at NICAP in 1968-1969 and evolved into a computer file containing over 2200 entries from worldwide sources dating from 1896 to 1979. The system allows sorting by various entries and includes a rating system (0-5) for case quality based on information amount, investigation, consistency, and investigator reputation. It also includes a classification of case types (A-G, X for hoaxes) based on the association of entities to objects.

'TAILLES DES ENTITES DANS LES RAPPORTS DE RR ET CRITERES ANTHROPOLOGIQUE': Alain Gamard presents a classification of entity sizes based on anthropological criteria, ranging from 'minuscule' (less than 35 cm) to 'géant' (over 200 cm). This classification is linked to the DATA/OVNI-HUMCAT EUROPE system. The document also touches upon the possibility of estimating entity size based on witness observations (RR1-RR4).

Report Reliability Levels: Jenny Randles' proposed set of levels (A-E) for evaluating the reliability of witness accounts and investigations is presented, with Level A being the best (on-site, full report) and Level E being the lowest (third-hand account, no known investigation).

Administrative and Contact Information

EWT's Operational Scale

The EWT explicitly states it will remain a team of reduced scale and will not become an extended "UFO group." This is reiterated in the French text, emphasizing that it will not become a "groupement d'étude OVNI" (UFO study group).

Member Updates and Contact Details

Mr. Jean-Luc Overal has a new address in Belgium: 6 rue de la Brasserie, B-5700 KEUMIEE, Belgium. Contact details for Ted Bloecher (USA) and Keith Basterfield (Australia) are also provided.

Publication and Support

The NOTICE is published regularly and relies on member contributions for its edition, requiring a minimum financial support of 250 FB. Members wishing to have their documents translated into English can contact Jenny Randles. For those who wish to create listings of negative type 1 phenomena for publication, Mr. Baliester Olmos invites them to do so.

Financial and Administrative Details

Information is provided for Mrs. Jenny Deduytsche for financial contributions via International Money Order to C.C.P. BRUGGE 000-0956967-02.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the systematic collection and cataloguing of UFO and entity-related reports, the development of research methodologies and classification systems, and the importance of international collaboration among researchers. The editorial stance emphasizes a focused, reduced-scale approach to research, prioritizing accurate data and detailed analysis over broad expansion. The EWT positions itself as a network for dedicated researchers rather than a mass organization.