Frequently Asked Questions

The Hayden C. Hewes Archive is a growing digital collection of historical UFO-related materials connected to Hayden Hewes and the International UFO Bureau. The collection includes correspondence, reports, photographs, newspaper clippings, research files, publications, case material, organizational records, and other surviving documents preserved for research and public study.

Hayden C. Hewes founded the International UFO Bureau in Oklahoma City in 1957 and spent decades investigating UFO reports, corresponding with witnesses, researchers, government agencies, public officials, scientists, astronauts, and others connected to the subject. His files form the foundation of this archive.

The archive includes scanned correspondence, reports, newspaper clippings, handwritten letters, photographs, case notes, newsletters, publications, research files, organizational records, and other historical materials connected to UFO research and the work of the International UFO Bureau.

Many records are digital scans made from physical documents preserved in the Hayden C. Hewes collection. Visitors are generally viewing digital access copies of those materials rather than the physical originals.

No. The archive is an ongoing preservation and digitization project. Thousands of physical records remain to be reviewed, scanned, organized, processed, and added to the digital collection.

No. Archival materials are preserved as historical records. A document may contain opinions, allegations, theories, witness accounts, disputed claims, outdated terminology, or information that has not been independently verified. Inclusion in the archive does not mean that IUFOB endorses or confirms the contents of a record.

Yes. Published records in the Hayden C. Hewes Archive are available for public research without a paid membership or subscription.

No. Published archive materials can be browsed and searched without creating an account.

Archive search uses document titles, catalog information, and searchable text created from digitized records. Optical character recognition, or OCR, allows the system to search words found inside many scanned documents.

No. OCR is a research aid and may misread faded typewriting, handwriting, damaged pages, unusual fonts, stamps, photographs, newspaper layouts, or other difficult material. When exact wording, names, dates, or context matter, always check the original scanned document.

The digital archive is still growing. A record may not have been scanned yet, may still be undergoing review, or may not yet have searchable text or complete catalog information.

These labels help organize archive materials by their historical significance, research value, or relationship to the broader collection. They are organizational categories, not paid access levels. Published files remain available to the public.

The scanned document is the historical record. Searchable text is provided to help researchers discover information within the collection, but it does not replace the original scan.

We ask that you give credit to the Hayden C. Hewes Archive and the International UFO Bureau when using or referencing material found here. Whenever possible, include the title or record identification and a direct link to the archive record.

A useful citation format is: Hayden C. Hewes Archive, International UFO Bureau (IUFOB), [Record or Collection Identification], [direct Archive link]. Researchers may adapt the citation to the requirements of their publication, institution, or citation style.

You may link to archive records and cite them in your research or discussion. Copyright and reproduction rights may vary by item, so republication, commercial reproduction, broadcast, documentary use, or redistribution of an entire document may require additional permission.

No. Physical possession, preservation, scanning, or publication of an archival item does not necessarily mean IUFOB owns the copyright in the underlying work. The archive contains materials created by many individuals, organizations, agencies, publishers, photographers, and correspondents.

If you believe an archive item contains copyrighted material that requires review, please email Archive@IUFOB.com. Include the archive record, link, and any information that will help identify the material. IUFOB will review the item and its rights status.

Please email Archive@IUFOB.com and include a link to the record and a description of the information you found. IUFOB will review the material and redact personal identifying information when appropriate.

For publication, documentary, broadcast, commercial reproduction, licensing, or other media requests, contact Archive@IUFOB.com.

The digitization mission is to preserve the surviving Hayden C. Hewes collection while making it easier for researchers and the public to explore. Physical records are scanned, organized, cataloged, and prepared for digital access so the information they contain is not dependent on a single aging physical copy.

Historical paper records can fade, deteriorate, become damaged, or be lost. Digitization creates preservation copies, improves public access, and allows information contained across thousands of documents to be organized and searched.

Digitization is intended to preserve access to the historical record, not replace the physical collection. Original materials remain important archival objects even after a digital copy has been created.

OCR stands for optical character recognition. It converts text visible on scanned pages into machine-readable text that can be searched. This allows researchers to search across large numbers of historical documents instead of opening every file individually.

No. OCR creates a separate searchable text layer or research record. The scanned document remains the source material and should be consulted when accuracy matters.

Records may be reviewed as part of scanning, cataloging, organization, privacy review, and preparation for publication. Because the collection is large and historical records vary widely in condition, review and improvement continue after materials are added to the archive.

Donations can help support scanning, digital storage, OCR processing, archive hosting, preservation supplies, searchable records, and the continuing work required to prepare additional historical files for public access.

If you find a cataloging error, incorrect name, date, description, broken file, OCR problem, or other issue, please contact IUFOB and include the archive record or direct link so the issue can be reviewed.

Yes. If you have information connected to a person, event, photograph, document, sighting, or case represented in the archive, IUFOB welcomes additional context that may help improve the historical record.

If you have historical UFO-related documents, photographs, correspondence, research material, or other records that may be relevant to the collection or the broader work of IUFOB, contact the Bureau with information about the material.

Yes. New sightings should be submitted through the Report a Sighting page. The archive is primarily for historical records, while new reports become part of the continuing investigative work of the International UFO Bureau.

IUFOB is supported in part by volunteers and may not be able to respond personally to every message. Submissions, corrections, historical information, and reports may still be reviewed even when an individual response is not possible.

For archive questions, corrections, copyright concerns, privacy concerns, preservation inquiries, or information related to a specific file, email Archive@IUFOB.com.