UAP Research in Germany: Single Case Studies, Data Management, Understanding of “Strangeness”

Abstract

Unidentified Aerial/Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) have become a serious research topic in the last years. Beyond the current efforts of U. S. government agencies, NASA, and several research institutions, data on UAP have been collected for many decades in private research organizations world-wide. However, the status of the work in Germany in particular is little known internationally. This paper presents the current state of knowledge and lists key issues regarding research on UAP. Using the example of the largest research organization in Germany, the “Gesellschaft zur Erforschung des UFO-Phänomens – GEP e.V.” (Society for the Study of the UFO Phenomenon), this paper describes how lay research or citizen science can contribute to addressing these key issues. Conducting individual case studies for data collection, requirements-driven research data management and the theoretical development of basic definitions of “UAP” as well as “anomalies” and “strangeness” are identified as core factors for progress in UAP research, for which increased international cooperation between all institutions involved will be required in the future.