Short answer
AnomalyWiki rates entries A–E by documentation quality - from physically verified places and artifacts to known hoaxes - and pairs every grade with a mainstream consensus line so that famous legends are never confused with verified beings, objects, or events.
Overview
Fringe topics attract confident claims and thin sourcing. AnomalyWiki publishes an explicit evidence scale so readers can see whether a page rests on a recovered object, an official report, clustered independent documentation, a single anecdote cluster, folklore alone, or a known explanation.
Grade A is reserved for physically verified or firmly documented subjects such as a real archaeological site, a recovered artifact in institutional custody, or a primary government report whose existence is not in dispute - not for “we think the legend is true.” Grade B requires multiple independent, documented reports that can be checked. Grade C covers single-source or loosely clustered anecdotal reports (many cryptid flaps land here). Grade D is folklore or legend without a modern evidentiary case file. Grade E means known hoax or satisfactorily explained.
The scale is editorial metadata for encyclopedia honesty; it is not a star rating, review widget, or ClaimReview substitute. Reference hubs like this one skip the ≥8-children rule that applies to filter and list pages. Authors must cite primary sources first, then academic work, then journalism, and treat enthusiast sites as claims only.
How we choose entries
Reference page - explains methodology rather than listing child encyclopedia entries. The A–E table below is the deliverable. Example entity pages may be linked for illustration but do not count as filter children.
Source priority for every graded page: primary archives / texts / government reports → academic folklore or science → journalism → enthusiast sites (claims only).
The list
| Grade | Meaning | Typical use on AnomalyWiki |
|---|---|---|
| A | Physically verified / firmly documented (real place, recovered artifact, official report whose existence is not disputed) | Institutional places and objects; primary UAP/government files as documents |
| B | Multiple independent, documented reports | Well-attested case clusters with checkable sources |
| C | Single-source or anecdotal report clusters | Many cryptid flaps (e.g. Mothman-style newspaper waves without specimens) |
| D | Folklore / legend only | Mythical beings; contactee-type UFO lore without physical verification |
| E | Known hoax or explained | Resolved misidentifications, admitted fabrications, settled natural explanations |
Worked examples (illustrative, not hub children)
| Example | Grade | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mothman | C | Contemporary report cluster; no verified specimen |
| Nordic Aliens | D | Contactee / folklore typology |
| Kitsune | D | Cultural folklore and belief tradition |
| Official report collections / real sites | often A | Document or place verified; extraordinary claim still framed separately |
Always read the page’s mainstream consensus line beside the letter grade.
Map
Not map-eligible. This is a reference methodology page.
Related hubs
FAQ
Does grade A mean “this cryptid is real”? No. Grade A means the subject is physically verified or firmly documented as a place, object, or official record - not that an extraordinary creature claim is proven.
Why pair grades with a mainstream consensus line? So a famous legend (often D or C) is never read as a verified animal. Consensus states the scientific or scholarly default view in plain language.
Can an entry’s grade change? Yes. If new primary documentation appears - or a case is explained - editors update the grade, consensus line, and lastReviewed date.
Do reference hubs need eight children? No. The ≥8-children rule applies to filter and list hubs. Methodology and glossary-style reference pages are exempt.
Is this a fact-check star rating? No. We do not use Review/Rating rich-result markup for evidence grades. The letter is editorial metadata explained on this page.
Sources
- Michael Shermer, Scientific American, “Show Me the Body” - https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/show-me-the-body-mythic-creatures/
- Sykes et al., Proc. R. Soc. B hair-DNA survey of anomalous-primate claims - https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2014.0161
- AARO (U.S.) program materials - https://www.aaro.mil/
- AnomalyWiki content strategy §C (Evidence scale) - internal editorial policy mirrored on this page