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To carry out these objectives the Committee: </p> <ol> <li>Maintains a network of people interested in critically examining paranormal, fringe science, and other claims, and in contributing to consumer education</li> <li>Prepares bibliographies of published materials that carefully examine such claims</li> <li>Encourages research by objective and impartial inquiry in areas where it is needed</li> <li>Convenes conferences and meetings</li> <li>Publishes articles that examine claims of the paranormal</li> <li>Does not reject claims on a priori grounds, antecedent to inquiry, but examines them objectively and carefully</li> </ol> <p> The Committee is a program of the Center for Inquiry, a nonprofit educational organization. The Committee was launched in 1976. The <cite><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/si"></a>Skeptical Inquirer</cite> is its official journal. </p> <p> Some of the founding members of CSI include scientists, academics, and science writers such as <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/author/carlsagan">Carl Sagan</a>, Isaac Asimov, Philip Klass, <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/author/paulkurtz">Paul Kurtz</a>, <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/author/rayhyman">Ray Hyman</a>, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190111025836/http://www.randi.org/" target="_blank">James Randi</a>, <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/author/martingardner">Martin Gardner</a>, Sidney Hook, and others. A list of <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/about/csi_fellows_and_staff/">CSI fellows</a> is published in every issue of <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/si/"><cite>Skeptical Inquirer</cite></a> magazine. </p> <p> CSI, encourages careful, rational, critical examination of unusual claims. One of the best guides is a short piece by <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/author/rayhyman">Ray Hyman</a>, a professor of psychology at the University of Oregon, titled <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/si/show/proper_criticism/">“Proper Criticism”</a>. </p> <h2>Skeptical Briefs newsletter</h2> <p> You are invited to subscribe to the Committee’s quarterly newsletter, <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/sb"></a><cite>Skeptical Briefs</cite>. Subscriptions to Skeptical Briefs are independent of your Skeptical Inquirer subscription. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190111025836/http://csi-store.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/csi-associate-membership"><strong>Subscribe today!</strong></a> </p> <h2>Contacting CSI</h2> <p> You can <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/about/contact/">contact CSI</a> for more information. </p> <h2>Financial Information</h2> <p> The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry's latest <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/990">IRS Form 990</a> </p> <h2>Name Change</h2> <p> In 2006, CSICOP changed its name to CSI. Read editor <a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/specialarticles/show/its_csi_now_not_csicop/">Kendrick Frazier's comments</a> on the change. </p> </div> <div class="clear"></div> </div> <div id="footer"> <a name="footer"></a> <img src="/web/20190111025836im_/https://www.csicop.org/img/csi-logo-new.png" alt="CSI logo" style="display:none"/> <div id="about"> <h2><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/about/about_csi">About</a></h2> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/about/contact">Contact</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/about/csicop/">Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP)</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/about/csi_fellows_and_staff/">CSI Fellows and Staff</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/about/donate_to_csi/">Donate to CSI</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/about/policy_on_hostile_conduct_harassment_at_conferences/">Policy on Hostile Conduct/Harassment at Conferences</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/about/privacy_policy/">Privacy Policy</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/about/the_pantheon_of_skeptics/">The Pantheon of Skeptics</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="resources"> <h2><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/resources">Resources</a></h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190111025836/https://csi-store.myshopify.com/">CSI Store</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/resources/us_organizations">Skeptical Organizations in the United States</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/resources/international_organizations">International Network of Skeptical Organizations</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190111025836/https://www.centerforinquiry.net/outreach/branches">Centers for Inquiry</a></li> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190111025836/https://www.centerforinquiry.net/forums" rel="external">CFI Forums</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="publications"> <h2><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/publications">Publications</a></h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190111025836/https://csi-store.myshopify.com/collections/frontpage/products/si">Subscribe</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/si">Skeptical Inquirer</a> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/si/">Archive</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/si/archive/category/volume_42.6">Latest Issue</a></li> </ul></li>  <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/specialarticles">Special Articles</a></li> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/publications/guide/">Guide for Authors</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="news" style="border:none;"> <h2><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/news">News</a></h2> <ul> <li><a href="/web/20190111025836/https://www.csicop.org/news">Recent Announcements</a></li> </ul> </div> <p class="legal">Content copyright <acronym title="Committee for Skeptical Inquiry">CSI</acronym> or the respective copyright holders. Do not redistribute without obtaining permission. Articles, reports, reviews, and letters published on the CSICOP.org website represent the views and work of individual authors. Their publication does not necessarily constitute and endorsement by CSI or its members unless so stated. Thanks to the <acronym title="European Space Organisation">ESO</acronym> for the image of the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190111025836/https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090303.html">Helix Nebula</a>, also <acronym title="National Aeronautics and Space Administration">NASA</acronym>, <acronym title="European Space Agency">ESA</acronym> and the Hubble Heritage Team for the image of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20190111025836/https://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2007/36/">NGC 3808B (ARP 87)</a>.</p> </div> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20190111025836js_/https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.4.2/jquery.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20190111025836js_/https://www.csicop.org/js/jquery.biggerlink.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/web/20190111025836js_/https://www.csicop.org/js/jquery.kwicks.js"></script> <script src="/web/20190111025836js_/https://www.csicop.org/js/csi-master1.js?1" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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