Formerly CSICOP.

The Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal encourages the critical investigation of paranormal and fringe-science claims from a responsible, scientific point of view and disseminates factual information about the results of such inquiries to the scientific community and the public. It also promotes science and scientific inquiry, critical thinking, science education, and the use of reason in examining important issues. To carry out these objectives the Committee:

Maintains a network of people interested in critically examining paranormal, fringe science, and other claims, and in contributing to consumer education

Prepares bibliographies of published materials that carefully examine such claims

Encourages research by objective and impartial inquiry in areas where it is needed

Convenes conferences and meetings

Publishes articles that examine claims of the paranormal

Does not reject claims on a priori grounds, antecedent to inquiry, but examines them objectively and carefully The Committee is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization, started in 1976. The Skeptical Inquirer is its official journal.

Some of the founding members of CSICOP included scientists, academics, and science writers such as Carl Sagan, Isaac Asimov, Philip Klass, Paul Kurtz, Ray Hyman, James Randi, Martin Gardner, Sidney Hook, and others.