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Basic Research Methods For Conspiracy Buffs

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posted on May, 11 2007 @ 06:47 PM
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Everybody has to start somewhere.

The information contained in this thread is for educational purposes only. I've been asked many times to explain basic research methods. I've compiled all of my answers for this introductory essay because doing your own homework matters.

Each new generation of conspiracy enthusiasts likes to re-examine the many plots that have already been written about. Some investigators hope to put a new spin on old ideas. Others try to seek out new information, using new technologies (like the internet). Many authors will use what's already known about a conspiracy theory they are familiar with to create a work of fiction that appeals to their own unique interests.

Trained researchers and experienced conspiracy buffs already know how to use libraries and other research tools. Finding information about your favorite topic can be as easy as using a computer to access the internet, and your favorite search engine. Even so, successful conspiracy hunting relies on more than just knowing where to look. What you look for is just as important as how you try to find it.

Specialized information sources contain specialized information. Large-scale (bulk) information sources contain a little bit of knowledge relating to many subjects. This is the first lesson that most conspiracy researchers learn the hard way. When you look at books in a store, or at your local library, keep this in mind before you buy them or check them out. For best results, look for titles that convey specific information about a single subject.

The same thing holds true for internet web sites. When looking at personal, commercial, or government-run web sites, be aware that "a little bit of everything" usually means a whole lot of nothing. This is an important consideration, since many authors don't have a lot of spare time to waste on useless research.

Libraries and book stores catalog their titles by author, subject, and ISBN number. When dealing with libraries, you may be able to use a computer to search for the subjects you want. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you can't operate the search terminal, or read what's on the screen. Many modern libraries have assistive technologies or trained specialists to help you find what you need. This may include books on tape or audio CD.

Search terms and subject categories are exactly what you think they are. Making the most of your research time means thinking analytically. Making a list of single words that relate to your subject of interest will be very helpful. The internet is very convenient, but you will always find information (in books) on the shelf at most libraries that you won't find anywhere else. Don't be surprised if some of the search terms you come up with sound odd or silly.

The internet is constantly evolving, and computer security is becoming more of an issue with the passing of each decade. Many modern laws now allow law enforcement officials to track library records. This means they have the potential to find out who checked out what book. Some localities require users to have a registered user account to operate the library's electronic records inventory. This means that law enforcement officials may be able to find out who was interested in certain categories of information.

Some conspiracy theorists find themselves looking for information on subjects that may be regarded as "suspicious" by local, State, or Federal law enforcement officers. Those who don't like being tracked or monitored may choose to look for books and other periodicals without using the library's search tools. This can be done by simply looking around the library that you're in at a slow leisurely pace.

Many of the books you may want to read will be grouped by subject. Look for printed signs on the ends of book shelves that will tell you what subjects are covered in that area. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you can't read the signs. Learning the layout of your local library may take some time.

If you're afraid of being tracked, don't check out the books you want to read. Find a comfortable place to sit, and look at them. Remember that libraries are supposed to be used for research and study. Don't be afraid to take notes on what you're reading. If writing is a problem, consider making photocopies of the most important pages.

Bear in mind that some libraries have adapted their copiers to store digital images of whatever gets reproduced. Stored images are time indexed, with a date stamp. In some cases, a library may be kept secure by means of closed-circuit video cameras. This could mean that your activities are closely monitored. These technologies are expensive to operate and maintain. They are not used by all libraries.

Many of the challenges associated with libraries can also be encountered in commercial book stores. Many of the larger stores are equipped with video surveillance systems. Some use hidden cameras. Books and magazines are sorted by topic, and many big stores allow you to sit and read without buying.

Most of the contemporary book shops you're likely to visit will have electronic database inventories. If you can't find what you want, it may be wise to ask the salesperson behind the counter for help. Many of the programs they are likely to use will log the type of request you make, but they won't be able to track your identity unless you use a credit card to make a purchase. Paying with cash does not allow them to track your identity, even if they give you change from large bills.

There is one additional thing to consider when shopping at book stores. Larger chain stores offer their customers discount club cards. When you make a purchase, the card is scanned and you get an extra discount on what you bought. The catch is that your club card contains information about your identity that is read in to the cash register's customer database. It's voluntary on your part, so you have no room to complain if you give your card to the clerk when they ask for it.

The end result can be that store owners know who you are and what you bought. Under the terms of modern law, this information can be made available to local, State, and Federal police agencies by request or warrant. It's worth noting that many small used book stores don't have these security measures in place because they can't afford them. Most of these little shops don't even take credit cards.

ii. Search Engines and Web Sites

The internet is an electronic gateway to an infinite number of destinations. Conspiracy buffs looking to read up on established conspiracies can find any number of web pages that will contain an unlimited amount of theories, observations, speculations, and facts of all sorts. Using your favorite search engine, you can request subject descriptions in much the same way as you might in a library. The search parameters are a little broader, and the selection is much greater.

When the search results come up, they are displayed by website title, followed by a short description of what you might expect to find on that page. Because the sites on the internet are being updated by their owners at different intervals, your results may vary each time you use a search engine.

Conspiracy theories which have been around for a long time will have a lot of material online. Your challenge, as a researcher, is to sift through it all and get to the details that matter most to your investigation. Making a list of search terms that relate specifically to the elements that relate to your 'plot' will help. Because the known theories have been written about by so many people, you will find yourself skipping over a lot of duplicated material.

Be creative with your search terms. Don't be afraid to type in a complete one sentence question. Modern search engines can process a written question just like any other information request. They can do this with a high degree of success. Conspiracy theorists spend a lot of time on the internet. With practice, and a little deductive reasoning, you'll be able to make your preferred search engine lead you to lots of information about well established conspiracy theories.

You should know that modern law authorizes government agencies and law enforcement officials to monitor internet traffic. It's possible that every action you take on the internet may be recorded by any of the many computers which process your electronic requests. The Federal government is known to monitor any web site that it considers suspicious, or threatening to national security.

Removing hostile programs (spyware) from your own computer is no guarantee of privacy. This form of monitoring offends many conspiracy theorists who see it as a threat to their privacy. Some are even known to write about it. Privacy issues are very common topic for today's reform-minded authors.

What you find is just as important as how you find it. Expertise comes through experience. The more time you spend on a subject, the more you will learn about it. As time passes, you'll get comfortable with it. What you think doesn't hinge on your ability to win an argument, but it does rely on what you know. Fact shapes opinion. Conspiracies are only mysterious when you don't know anything about them.



posted on May, 11 2007 @ 07:05 PM
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Thanks for taking the time to try and help people out. I cannot always get down to the local library, but they sure do have a variety of information there. Not just books, but audio and video tapes, cd's, and dvd's and lots of magazines and newspapers.

Where does one go to browse through the old newspapers though? The fifties and sixties ones.

[edit on 5-11-2007 by groingrinder]



posted on May, 12 2007 @ 12:12 AM
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Originally posted by groingrinder
Where does one go to browse through the old newspapers though? The fifties and sixties ones.


You have several options.

Most of the larger news papers are hosting web sites now, and on them you'll find digital archives. When you're looking at a news paper's web site, see if you can find a search function. Large papers will have 50-70 years worth of their old material on tap.

Small town papers may not have web sites, or search-able archives. Most will have "books" of their old papers in hard cover. You'll have to write to them to ask specific questions about what they can provide.

News papers and universities often maintain large microfilm collections which will allow you to look at old and out of print news editions. If you can't get to them yourself, consider writing or phoning. Be prepared to pay reproduction fees.

Using your favorite search engine will some times yield very surprising results. Within ten years, most of the major news papers will have their stuff online so that you can look at it with a click of your mouse. This will include older magazine titles like Time, Life, and Newsweek.

There's an old old old trick of the trade that involves your favorite search engine. Type in "what happen on xxx" and fill in the date you want to know about. There are lot of minor search engines out there that will tell you what happened on "this day in history."

Don't be afraid to check Federal sources, such as the Library of Congress. They are putting more stuff online as each year passes. When time and money are a factor, the internet can show you more than you can actually use. If time and money are not a factor, you'll be surprised by what you can get if you are patient.



posted on May, 12 2007 @ 03:16 PM
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Some newspapers allow you to purchase copies of old issues. I know that if I wanted to, I can order an old edition of my local newspaper. The only catch with that is you have to know the exact date, like Sept. 11, 2001, or whatever you are looking for.



posted on May, 12 2007 @ 03:26 PM
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I've gotten a few u2's regarding the Freedom of Information Act. Please be advised that I am preparing a seperate thread for the FOIA.



posted on May, 12 2007 @ 03:50 PM
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Thanks Justin Oldham and DragonsDemesne. I really appreciate the info and am sure that others do as well. My local paper requires you to be a subscriber to the paper edition, in order to use the online edition.



posted on May, 12 2007 @ 04:43 PM
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Originally posted by groingrinder
Thanks Justin Oldham and DragonsDemesne. I really appreciate the info and am sure that others do as well. My local paper requires you to be a subscriber to the paper edition, in order to use the online edition.


You may want to take a closer look at that web site. My local paper, the Anchaorge Daily News, wants you to sign up for an account on their web site before you can use the search function. You do NOT have to be a subscriber to the ADN newspaper to use their search and archive.



posted on May, 16 2007 @ 08:08 AM
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WONDERFUL THREAD!

As usual, you have impressed me with your brilliant insights Mr. Oldham! Mastering the methods Justin has explained so well in his post are crutial to good solid conspiracy research. These are the same methods used to research Black Projects, which is a speciality of mine here on ATS. If I may, I would like to add a few small tips of my own:

1. Do NOT assume everything you want to know is Classified: Governments work on beaurocracy, and are notorious for their paper trails! If you find one thing, there's always another!

2. Never be Afraid to go Low-tech: Often old books, magazines, journals and maps that you find tucked away in library corners have some of the best information in them.

3. Know your Sorces: Keep track of the sources you used so you have something to go back to later.

4. Fallow Up: If you have information in one source that is promising, see if you can find out the author got it. Don't limit yourself to fallowing the work of others.

5. Network: Find others who know what they are taking about who you trust to ask for help if you need it. Sometimes the suggestions of friends can be very helpful when you get stuck (and trust me You will get stuck from time to time) ATS is great for that.

Tim



posted on May, 16 2007 @ 06:33 PM
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Anyone who has something to say on this subject should feel free to post here. Tell us what you've learned. Tell us how you did it. Research is not easy, and its not always fun. Knowing your enemy means knowing how to find your enemy...



posted on May, 29 2007 @ 11:07 PM
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I know better than anyone research is not always easy or fun........it is time-consuming and you have to wade through a bunch of crap to get to a lot of stuff you are looking for but as in anything else, the more you do it the better you get at it, the easier it is to know what to look for.
Here is what I learned from reading all the posts...............never check out a library book if the reading material could be a subject you wouldn't want the guberment to know you are researching. Pay cash for a book you would buy in a bookstore that could potentially make you a target of the feds. What amazes me is they have so much time to snoop on the average citizen while all the real terrorists already know how to avoid the feds tactics...........in other words, they know to keep everything on the downlow.
It is another example of a bunch of retards in our guberment that more people are starting to pay attention to.


[edit on 29-5-2007 by Jillian_Bacardi]



posted on May, 30 2007 @ 01:48 PM
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With all due respet, it sounds to me like you're trying to justify your apathy. I suggest that you gather your evidence and make your case in the Political Conspiracies forum. Start a single thread, and lay it all out as briefly as possible. then, see what happens. You'll get a lot questions, and hopefully you'll be able to provide the necessary asnwers. If yo uca, you may find that you'll get some of the help and support that you've been wanting.

I've had my agents in the field review your electronic trail, so I've got some idea of where you've been and what you're trying to say. ATS is not like many of the boards you've been to. You'll get fair skepticism here, but you'll have to take your time with a presentation that gives us all a chance to look at what you're trying to say. It's not enough to make a claim, you've got to explain yourself. Until you do that for this community, you'll be just another person with a gripe.



posted on May, 30 2007 @ 02:13 PM
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I'm rather happy to see this thread. Anyone advocating genuine and serious research om the topics discussed here deserves a pat on the back. In my opinion, the "Internet CT Community" in general is all too often taken in by unsubstantiated claims that quickly snowball into something larger, but still unsubstantiated. Call it the "Ninjas Shot Professor Jones Law", i.e. in a high school study hall, a student calls Professor Jones a jerk. His fellow student leave after the bell and very quickly the rumors spiral out of control. By the last period of the school day, the story has achieved epic proportions, complete with a ninja assassination squad, and people are taking it as the sworn truth. Such is the nature of much of what many CTers believe as gospel.

While some maintain that any discussion into the nature of conspiracies are positive, no matter how wacky, I truly believe that for the wider world to begin to embrace these theories, conspiracy theorists must base their claims on a solid and tangible foundation. Genuine research and legwork are required, not searching around on youtube.



posted on May, 30 2007 @ 03:23 PM
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Justin Oldham, very useful thread. Each time I am able to pick up even a single clue as to how I may increase whatever I do have, the journey is worthwhile. The hint about typing in a question: I never tried it that way, and I will. Also the part about varied results from varied search engines. Thank you.

I will add a little highlight to something already mentioned. Used bookstores are a great source. Not only are you less likely to be tracked, but the price difference is substantial. Also, there are many times books that are out of print. But never assume that the books there are in the correct section or order. Often such places have a low maintenance approach, so give yourself time to search the section of interest, and not expect to go right to the author.

Thanks J.O.



posted on May, 30 2007 @ 11:44 PM
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If you give a man a fish, he eats today. If you teach a man to fish, he eats always. Knowing HOW to find is more important than knowing what to look for. Basic research skills are necessary for the conspiracy finder on the go. You've heard it said that the best place to hide is in plain sight. That's because very few people know how to look for what;s right in front of them.



posted on Jun, 7 2007 @ 07:26 PM
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As many of you know, there has been something of a brew-up over in the 9/11 forums. That's not my niche, so I tend to avoid posting in that arena. Even so, I do lurk and I do see things. Opinion plays a large role in what goes on here at ATS. More than 50% of what we traffic in is opinion. When we show our work (links), we are backing up our opnions with as much fact as we can get our hands on.

All good researchers know, regardless of field, that it's too easy to argue with somebody when you want to. When you're feeling that urge, and you just gotta, you can do it. Socratic method is not hard to learn, and its altogether too easy to use. There are some people out there who embrace the tools of argument so that they can always be right.

We shold never be so serious about what we do that we are willing to resort to hurtful language. If you can't win the argument based on the facts you can find, or the mojo you can muster from your own gray matter, then so be it. right or wrong, the skill of argument is one that improves with practice. Bear that in mind as you dig for the truth.



posted on Jun, 23 2007 @ 06:08 PM
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Well, now. Here's something worth paying attention to. The Vice President is claiming that he doesn't have to report what he sends to the national Archives. If this rule "sticks," researchers like you and me could find it much harder to get anything from the Fed through the Freedom of Information Act.

---------------------------------

The following news item is take from the official web site of The House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform.

Thursday, June 21, 2007
Administration Oversight

Vice President Exempts His Office from the Requirements for Protecting Classified Information

The Oversight Committee has learned that over the objections of the National Archives, Vice President Cheney exempted his office from the presidential order that establishes government-wide procedures for safeguarding classified national security information. The Vice President asserts that his office is not an “entity within the executive branch.”

As described in a letter from Chairman Waxman to the Vice President, the National Archives protested the Vice President's position in letters written in June 2006 and August 2006. When these letters were ignored, the National Archives wrote to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales in January 2007 to seek a resolution of the impasse. The Vice President's staff responded by seeking to abolish the agency within the Archives that is responsible for implementing the President's executive order.

In his letter to the Vice President, Chairman Waxman writes: "I question both the legality and wisdom of your actions. ... [I]t would appear particularly irresponsible to give an office with your history of security breaches an exemption from the safeguards that apply to all other executive branch officials."

A fact sheet prepared by Chairman Waxman describes other instances in which the Vice President's office has sought to avoid oversight and accountability.

Documents referenced from this web source:

Committee Chairman's letter to the Vice President

Letter from the National Archive to the Attorney General

Second letter from the National Archive's to the Vice President's office

First letter from the National Archives to the Vice President's office

Fact Sheet on the Vice President's Efforts to avoid Oversight and Accountability

-------------------------------

As a good researcher, you know that you can't ask for and get anything that is 'classified.' Now, here's the kicker. If you don't know what goes in to records storeage as classified, how do you know when that material has been de-classified? You don't. Imagine that any Federal official who wants to avoid lying and not breaking the law can invoke this rule to NOT answer your questions? It's not like they are burning documents. They're just not telling you if they have them...or not.



posted on Jan, 1 2008 @ 12:16 PM
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There's an item of great importance that has gone largely unreported by the MSM. You should know about this.

The Associated Press is reporting that President Bush has signed a new law in to effect that will improve the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This will be the first upgrade to that process in ten years. I bring this to your attention because government reforms are so rare.

SOURCE

AP summarizes by saying:



“The legislation creates a system for the media and public to track the status of their FOIA requests. It establishes a hot line service for all federal agencies to deal with problems and an ombudsman to provide an alternative to litigation in disclosure disputes.”


As a former Federal employee, I can tell you that these reforms are significant. During my seven years of government service, I helped to prepare more than 200 FOIA requests. The fact that there was no formal tracking system in place was all the excuse that some people needed to slack, or avoid filling the requests.

This reform is also a notable example of what can be achieved when a President wants to actually do some good.

There are political ramifications to this, too. As I read the basics of this reform, I can see that the Republicans are now finally starting to realize their grip on power is slipping. This improved process will actually make their lives easier once they settle in to their role as the minority opposition…for the next ten years. Please, let me explain.

Conservatives who come back to Capitol Hill as Lobbyists will have it pretty rough once they’re on the outs with Congress. This upgraded FOIA process will now make it easier for them to track the paperwork trails of pet projects that they might want to influence. Bear in mind that all but the most classified paper trails are covered by the FOIA.

This reform has applications for you and me, too. It will mean that you can track your "case" as it moves through an agency's bureaucracy. How many times were you been left wondering if they ever acted on the form you filled out? Once this system is in place, you'll know. It may not shield you from any other disappointments, but you'll have options that you didn't have before.



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