Do the explanations hold up?

Working draft · terminology and criteria are under development.Read the complete draft (Markdown)

Explanation Review Scale

The explanations compete with one another; the review does not presume a paranormal alternative. ERS is not a paranormal-likelihood score. Higher ratings indicate that familiar explanations account for less of the reported event after documented review. This is not proof of an extraordinary explanation or the elimination of every possible cause.

1. 0

   Not assessed

   There is insufficient context to meaningfully compare explanations.

2. 1

   Known cause established

   A known cause or familiar mechanism is directly observed or otherwise established.

3. 2

   Known cause readily accounts for the event

   A known cause or familiar mechanism can reasonably account for the reported event.

4. 3

   Competing explanations remain plausible

   Multiple accounts remain viable and have not been adequately tested.

5. 4

   Leading explanations constrained

   Leading known causes, familiar mechanisms, and other plausible explanations have been partly checked, constrained, or tested.

6. 5

   Leading explanations not supported

   The leading known causes, familiar mechanisms, and other plausible explanations considered were specifically assessed and did not adequately account for the reported event.