Paranormal Research and Cryptozoology should be taken more seriously in the Scientific Community

"In a more restricted sense, science refers to a system of acquiring knowledge based on the scientific method [the body of techniques for investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge], as well as to the organized body of knowledge gained through such research. " You left out the two most important elements- experimentation and repeatability. " Now, tell me, how is it that PR and CZ (Paranormal Research and CryptoZoology) is not attempting to acquire new knowledge through research? How is setting up expeditions with state of the art equipment attempting to gain evidence of the supernatural and mysterious? " Can this state of the art equipment be made by anyone else? What equipment is it? Specify. " You claim that for something to be studied scientifically, it must no longer be fully unexplained. Well, there are explanations for many ghost events and most CZ animals. True, not fully explained, but also, not fully unexplained either." Then the field contradicts its definition. "As to anomalous, P Researchers are able to predict and expect ghost sightings based on witness accounts" Can they? show me the evidence. "in some cases gaining video evidence and EVP's (electronic voice phenomenon)." What's EVP? Show me the video evidence of ghosts. Show me that it hasn't been tampered with. :D. "With CZ, scientists are able to summarize general areas, again based on witness reports, where the animal in question could be living." Witness reports: e.g. anecdotal evidence, e.g. not science. "They too, occasionally find evidence." Show it off :D. "In both cases, they use hypothesis, experimentation, and observation, to reach conclusions, processes which every other 'accepted' scientist does as well." Show them doing so. "Well, what you seemed to have missed is that I am not suggesting they have their own special branch, but rather the scientific community actively accept them into the appropriate field. CZ with regular zoology and PR with physics/other." I am not an expert on CZ, but psychologists already investigate ESP, physicists investigate various accounts of will o' the wisps, etc. That is taking it as seriously as it needs to. your claim is that it needs to be taken MORE seriously, which, if you are not arguing for the necessity of a separate branch, would require that the scientists find some evidence worthy of further investigation. "Your specific argument on CZ is that the animals must be not hidden, and absolutely identifiable in a zoological catalogue for the research of mysterious animals to be a viable form of research." No, I'm saying that they must not be hidden, and that research would lead to their place being in a zoological catalogue if they exist. You cannot research something that is hidden from you. "Their goal is to prove that these species exist." You can't do that if they are hidden from you :D. You cannot research something until you find it. "Anecdotal evidence also cannot be tossed out, as it is still evidence, just as personal accounts of wars, crimes, and tragedies are." Anecdotal evidence is not a part of science, it is outside of science. History, not being precisely a science, may use such matters as it wishes, but the scientific method does not make recognition of anecdotes. http://en.wikipedia.org... " You have still failed to show that CZ and PR do not have some basis in science." Shifting the burden of proof. :D