JFK Research Methodology

[Peter Lemkin]

I am still working on a more enlightening presentation on the criticism of Judyth Vary Baker. I would like to personally understand better why there is much more outrage about the book by Baker (which may contain embellishments) and books such as "Dallas 1963" by Minutaglio and Davis which is total deception and lies cover to cover. And "Dallas 1963" was often to be found in bookstores and at least two libraries which I frequent, INCLUDING THE AUDIO BOOK.

Below I am listing the top 21 names and number of citations in Baker's book "Me and Lee" and Jim Garrison's book "On The Trail of The Assassins."


[TABLE="width: 320"]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Judyth Vary Baker[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Oswald,Lee Harvey[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]200[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Vary, Judyth[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]200[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Baker, Robert[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]170[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Ochsner, Alton[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]122[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Castro, Fidel[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]105[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Sherman, Mary[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]88[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Oswald, Marina[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]87[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Ferrie, David[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]84[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Banister, Guy[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]75[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Marcello, Carlos[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]71[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Hanover, Susie[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]62[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Monaghan, William[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]56[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Oswald, June[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]44[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Vary, Donald[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]42[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Shaw, Clay[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]41[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Lewis, David[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]37[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Ruby, Jack[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]35[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Garrison, Jim[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]32[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Vary, Gloria[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]29[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Murret, Charles[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]22[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Paine, Ruth[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]22[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 3"]Trail of the Assassins[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Oswald,Lee Harvey[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]164[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Shaw, Clay[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]122[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Garrison, Jim[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]110[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Ferrie, David[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]86[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Banister, Guy[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]61[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Ivon, Louis[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]28[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Sciambra, Andrew[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]26[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Klein, Frank[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]25[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Alcock, James[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]22[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Ruby, Jack[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]18[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Gervais, Pershing[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Russo, Perry[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Thornley, Kerry[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Dulles, Allen[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]16[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Craig, Roger[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]14[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 3"]DeMohrenschildt, George[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]14[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Andrews, Dean[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]13[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Mercer, Julia[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]11[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Oser, Alvin[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]11[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Blakey, G Robert[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2"]Lane, Mark[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

The statistical correlation between the two lists is 95%.

In my factor analysis of the top 30 JFK books, factor number three was "New Orleans Suspects.." On that factor, below are the statistical loadings (much like correlations) based on the 100 most often cited names in the "New Orleans" books:

Farewell to Justice by Joan Mellen----------------.68
Me and Lee by J V Baker--------------------------.67
Heritage of Stone by Jim Garrison----------------.59
On The Trail of The Assassins by Garrison--------.51

In contrast, below are the loadings on the same factor for other well-known books

Road to Dallas by David Kaiser---------------------.18
Warren Commission---------------------------------.29
The Man Who Knew Too Much by Dick Russell-----.19
Rush to Judgment by Mark Lane--------------------.02

So based on pure statistical correlation of names and citations, it comes out that Baker's suspects are almost identical to those of Joan Mellen and very close to those of Jim Garrison.

I am listing this information is listed for two reasons: (1) Because such a huge emphasis is placed on the single book by Baker in many, many places on the internet, and (2) as a plug for my method of comparing various JFK books by using mathematics rather that emotional put-downs perhaps based on God knows what kind of motivations.

James Lateer

Sorry, this is not a scientific way at all to evaluate anything related to historical research - sorry. I've had years of science, history, math, statistics, also courses in logic. Two books can have the same or about the same number of references to things/persons/whatever - it matters not one bit - it is WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THOSE NAMES OR EVENTS that counts. Books that refute one another [take opposite viewpoints] can easily/likely will have similar numbers of references to X, Y, and Z if they are on the same topic. Your approach is outside the limits of scientific analysis and logic, sorry. No mathematical model is valid for determining the quality of the work, logic, effort, background, research, validity, thoughtfulness, etc. of a book. You might as well weigh the books and say the heavier the better; or look at the quality of the paper or binding. The quality is in the thought, sweat, mental effort and analysis, and the research work that went into the book - and how it was explained to the reader - and best if well referenced. Cross out 'emotion' and write in 'decades of plowing these fields' is how people determine what research is worth reading and move the research field forward and closer to the truth - from those which can only be useful to help hold a door open. ::willynilly::