Joe Nickell

Joe Nickell
Nickell in 2018
Born	(1944-12-01)December 1, 1944 West Liberty, Kentucky,U.S.
Education	University of Kentucky(BA,MA,PhD)
Occupations	Skeptic investigator author editor
Known for	CSICOP
Website	joenickell.com

Joe Nickell(born December 1, 1944) is an Americanskepticand investigator of theparanormal.

Nickell is senior research fellow for theCommittee for Skeptical Inquiryand writes regularly for their journal,Skeptical Inquirer.He is also an associatedeanof theCenter for InquiryInstitute. He is the author or editor of over 30 books.

Among his career highlights, Nickell helped expose theJames Maybrick "Jack the Ripper Diary"as a hoax. In 2002, Nickell was one of a number of experts asked by scholarHenry Louis Gates Jr.to evaluate the authenticity of the manuscript ofHannah Crafts'The Bondwoman's Narrative(1853–1860), possibly the first novel by an African-American woman.At the request of document dealer and historian Seth Keller, Nickell analyzed documentation in the dispute over the authorship of "The Night Before Christmas",ultimately supporting theClement Clarke Mooreclaim.

Early life, education and family

Joe Nickell is the son of J. Wendell and Ella (Turner) Nickell and was born and raised inWest Liberty, Kentucky.His parents indulged his interest in magic and investigation, allowing him to use a room in their house as a crime lab.

He earned a B.A. degree in 1967 from theUniversity of Kentucky.

To avoid the wide draft for theVietnam War,the following year in 1968, at the age of 24, he moved to Canada. There he began his careers as a magician, card dealer, and private investigator. After PresidentJimmy Cartergranted unconditional pardons to draft dodgers in 1977, Nickell returned to the United States.

He returned to the University of Kentucky for graduate work, earning an M.A. (1982) and PhD (1987). His PhD is in English, focusing on literary investigation and folklore.

In late 2003, Nickell reconnected with his college girlfriend Diana G. Harris. He learned he had a daughter by her, named Cherette, and two grandsons, Tyner and Chase.Harris had married before but divorced. She and Nickell married April 1, 2006.Harris has since assisted Nickell in his investigative work.

Diane Harris had told Cherette that her biological father was her first husband, but the daughter questioned her lack of resemblance to him. On Cherette's wedding day, one of the guests mentioned that her parents weren't married when she was conceived. Later, based on intuition, Cherette challenged her mother directly about her father and sensed equivocation. After more conversations and aDNAtest, Cherette learned that Nickell was her biological father.

Nickell used his daughter's claim that she had made an intuitive search for him as the basis for an article on the unconscious collection and processing of data. In it he concluded: "Cautions notwithstanding, I must admit to a new appreciation of intuition, without which I would not have known of my wonderful daughter – and two grandsons! It's enough to warm an old skeptic's heart."

Career

Joe Nickell (right) duringTAM9in 2011, withRichard WisemanandPhil Plait

Nickell has worked professionally as a stage magician, carnival pitchman, private detective, blackjack dealer, riverboat manager, university instructor, author, and paranormal investigator, and he lists more than 1,000 personae on his website. Since the early 1980s, he has researched, written, co-authored, and edited books in many genres.

He was profiled byThe New Yorkerwriter Burkhard Bilger, who met Nickell during the summer of 2002 atLily Dale, New York.The investigator had disguised himself to investigateSpiritualistpsychics.

Nickell is a recurring guest on thePoint of Inquirypodcast and conducts the annual Houdini Seance at the Center for Inquiry every Halloween.

He is frequently consulted by news and television producers for his skeptical perspective.

Nickell explained his philosophy to Blake Smith of the Skeptic podcastMonsterTalk.

I don't like debunkers and I don't like dismissers, people who are just trying to say, "Oh, humbug... Those people were probably drunk or lying or hoaxing." I just think we shouldn't do that. If I'm studying vampires, I don't have to believe they exist to talk about the history of vampires, the cultural and literary history. There are many aspects, all worthy of some scholarly discussion.

He served as a character consultant toHilary Swankin her starring role in the horror filmThe Reaping(2007), in which she plays a paranormal investigator.

Books

Nickell's books can be divided into four main categories—religious, forensic, paranormal, and mysteries. He has also written two books for young readers and two stand-alone books (one on UFOs, one on a regional alcoholic drink), and several additionalsmall pressand "contributed to" books.

Miracles and religious artifacts

Nickell has investigated religious artifacts and claimed phenomena. Beginning in 1982 with his bookInquest on theShroud of Turin:Latest Scientific Findings,Nickell demonstrates his research model of collecting evidence and following that evidence to a sustainable conclusion. He updated the book in 1998 with more recent historical, iconographic, forensic, physical and chemical evidence, with special explanations of theradiocarbon datingprocess.

In his 1993 bookLooking for a Miracle: Weeping Icons, Relics, Stigmata, Visions and Healing Cures,updated in 1998, Nickell analyzes miracles claimed by various religions. For each incident, Nickell reviews the contemporaneous written accounts, explores various natural explanations, explains the cultural environment surrounding the events, and speculates on the motivations of the affected religious community. He concludes that the claimed miracles were either hoaxes or misinterpretations of natural phenomena.

For instance, after studying the weepingSt. Irene iconin Queens, New York, Nickell said,

The glistening varnish and certain surface irregularities created a play of light that produced the appearance of weeping. A religious supplicant predisposed to see tears... could, especially if carrying a candle, see in the resultant glimmering in the tiny eyes, aided by vertical cracks and other streaks, the effect of tears.

Relics of the Christ(2007, British edition published asThe Jesus Relics: From the Holy Grail to the Turin Shroud), focuses on the Christian tradition of relics. Speaking withD.J. Grotheon thePoint of Inquirypodcast, Nickell proposed that veneration of relics had become a new idolatry; that is, worship of an actual deity within the relics in form of an entity that moves its eyes, weeps, bleeds, and walks. He said that although no icon in history has ever been proven authentic in the sense of displaying such attributes, he approaches each case with a suspension of disbelief: "I'm interested in the evidence because I want us to know what the truth is... I urge skeptics... not to be as closed-minded as the other side is ridiculously open-minded."

In 2008, Prometheus Books publishedJohn Calvin'sTreatise on Relicswith an introduction by Nickell. He wrote a brief biography of Calvin and uses references from his own 2007Relicsbook.

In hisThe Science of Miracles: Investigating the Incredible(2013), Nickell applied his investigative technique to 57 reported miracles. From theVirgin Mary's face appearing on a grilled cheese sandwich, to theCross's regeneration after pieces were removed, to the structural deficiencies of theLoretto Chapelstaircase, Nickell's described fact and myth are presented with clarity and respect. The book was criticized in theNew York Journal of Booksfor research limited to non-Biblical sources.

Less satisfying to the reader is the approach taken to miracles described in the Bible. Mr. Nickell focuses on the miracles of Jesus, dismissing them primarily as parables told to make a point that were later converted into miracle stories... Equally dismissive is his approach toglossolalia(speaking in tongues)... he does not bring to bear the available and abundant data that support the reality of this spiritual gift. He also ignores the discussion about glossolalia that can be found in the Apostle Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church (I Corinthians chapters 12 and 14).

Forensic investigations

Joe Nickell in his office
Amherst, New York, 2013

Nickell's first book in the authentication genre wasPen, Ink, and Evidence: A study of Writing and Writing Materials for the Penman, Collector, and Document Detective,described as a definitive work for researchers and practitioners. Mary Hood of theGeorgia Reviewpraised Nickell's scholarship:

Enthusiasm "does not quite express Nickell's sober authority of tone;" quiet passion "is more apposite... Both Nickell's interest in the subject and his treatment of it are devout... Although the book contains a useful index for the fact-checker who has no time to saunter, the true and earnest pen collector, paper-freak pilgrim, or office-supply junkie will find that every polished page contains its blessing and bliss.

InCamera Clues: A Handbook for Photographic Investigation,Nickell begins with the history of photography. He presents methods of dating photographs, from the physical characteristics of the work to the subject and contents of the photo. He explains how old photographs can be faked and how those fakes can be detected. He also describes identification of persons and places in old photos and the use of photography by law enforcement. He explains various trick photography techniques, including ghost and spirit photography.These have become even more elaborate with the use of computer images or digital camera technology.

Joe Nickell at QED Con 2012 with spirit photos

Detecting Forgery: Forensic Investigation of Documents(1996) presents an overview of a document expert's work. He says that forged documents are often revealed by the forgers' ignorance of or inability to re-create historic typefaces, inks, papers, pens, watermarks, signatures, and historic styles. Nickell explains forgeries ofDaniel Boone's musket,Mark Hofmann's Mormon papers, and theVinland Map.

According toPublishers Weekly,Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection(1998) provided extensive basic information, with brief case studies.

InReal or Fake: Studies in Authentication(2009), Nickell drew on his early work related to technical aspects of paper, ink, typefaces, pens, and other keys to determining authenticity of paper documents. New material details the step-by-step investigations of specific cases: the purported diary of Jack the Ripper (fake),The Bondwoman's Narrative(date authenticated, author unknown), Lincoln's LostGettysburg Address(fake), and An Outlaw's Scribblings (fake).

Paranormal investigations

Joe Nickell at QED Con 2012 with photo of allegedSpontaneous Human Combustion

Secrets of the Supernatural: Investigating the World's Occult Mysterieswas Nickell's first book of his paranormal investigation genre. He and his collaborator, John F. Fisher, look for the answers to theCrystal Skulls,spontaneous human combustion,theMackenzie House,and lesser known mysteries. On aPoint of Inquirypodcast years later, Nickell explained that the same mysteries are reported over and over again because, "For each new generation, they have to re-learn that there is controversy... Each new generation hears these for the first time... It's an endless process in which you have to be willing to speak to the next crop of people."

Missing Pieces: How to Investigate Ghosts, UFOs, Psychics, and Other Mysteries,written by Nickell andRobert A. Baker,is a handbook that combines the practical techniques of investigating the paranormal with a description of the psychology of believers. Nickell often quoted Baker, "... there are no haunted places, only haunted people."

Mysterious Realms: Probing Paranormal, Historical, and Forensic Enigmas,written by Nickell and Fisher, analyzes 10 frequently reported mysteries, including theKennedy assassination,Kentucky's Gray Lady ghost, andUFO cover-up conspiracy theories.

Nickell asked several researchers to investigate claims ofpsychic detectives.He collected their reports inPsychic Sleuths: ESP and Sensational Cases.None of the reports credits the psychics with factually supported insights. Nickell concludes that these individuals were either self-deluded or frauds. They used other psychological techniques to gain information, such ascold readingin discussions with police detectives, or retrofitting.

InEntities: Angels, Spirits, Demons, and Other Alien Beings,Nickell shows the development of ghost stories since the 17th century, and how they have been influenced by changing technology and communication methods. The fakedCottingley Fairiesphotographs, for example, became possible only when cameras became available to the general public.

The Outer Edge: Classic Investigations of the Paranormalis a collection of articles edited by Nickell,Barry Karrand Tom Genoni. It features Nickell and John F. Fischer's 1987 article, "Incredible Cremations: Investigating Spontaneous Combustion Deaths," along with essays byMartin Gardner,Ray Hyman,Susan Blackmore,andJames Randi.

Adventures in Paranormal Investigationis a more detailed work than many of Nickell's. He ranges fromdowsingtoFrankensteinto healing spas. He includes an essay about learning that he had an adult daughter and accepting that she attributed her search for him to"intuition".

The first half ofCSI Paranormalis a handbook on how to investigate paranormal claims. Nickell discusses his investigative strategy to:

1. Investigate on site
2. Check details of an account
3. Research precedents
4. Carefully examine physical evidence
5. Analyze development of a phenomenon
6. Assess a claim with a controlled test or experiment
7. Consider an innovative analysis
8. Attempt to recreate the "impossible"
9. Go undercover to investigate

In the second half of the book, Nickell shows how this strategy has been used to evaluate the claims of the Giant Ell, theRoswell UFO,the grilled cheeseMadonna,andJohn Edward.

InThe Science of Ghosts(2012), Nickell relates several archetype ghost stories—the girl in the snow, Elvis, phantom soldiers, and haunted lighthouses, castles, ships, and theaters. By tracking the development of these stories over the years, he demonstrates that the stories are not evidence of spirits, but evidence of the effects an appropriate setting can have on susceptible witnesses. He includes an analysis of 21st-centuryparanormal investigators,particularlyJason HawesandGrant Wilsonof the Syfy Channel'sGhost Hunters.He compares their investigations of theMyrtles Plantation,theWinchester Mystery Houseand theSt. Augustine Lighthousewith his own.

Mysteries

Ambrose Bierce Is Missing And Other Historical Mysterieswas Nickell's 1992 foray presenting historical investigations to the reading public. In the introduction, he uses the legal concepts of "a preponderance of the evidence" and "clear and compelling evidence" as standards by which hypotheses explaining mysteries should be objectively measured. Subjectively wishing an explanation is true can lead to imposing a hypothesis on the data instead of using data to test a hypothesis (thescientific method). Nickell's 2005 update ofAmbrose Bierce,Unsolved History: Investigating Mysteries of the Past,is the same text with the addition of two books to its "Recommended Works".

Real-Life X-Filesand its sequel,The Mystery Chronicleare a series of short essays on the histories, expanding mythologies, and likely causes of several dozen mysteries. In some cases, Nickell re-creates the legends, demonstrating that no special powers are needed to duplicate the effects. In others, he answers common lore with facts uncovered in his research. In 1982, Nickell and five of his relatives created a 440 foot long condor in a field in Kentucky by plotting coordinates of points on a drawing, a technique Nickell believes could have been used to create theNazca Linesin Peru. "That is, on the small drawing we would measure along the center line from one end (the bird's beak) to a point on the line directly opposite the point to be plotted (say a wing tip). Then we would measure the distance from the center line to the desired point. A given number of units on the small drawing would require the same number of units—larger units—on the large drawing."In the case of West Virginia'sMothman,Nickell interviewed witnesses and conducted on-site experiments to find the most likely explanation for the original sightings. This investigation found that the mis-identification of an owl—most likely aBarred owl—was the most likely explanation.

Harry Eager of theMaui NewscallsSecrets of Sideshows"... virtually an encyclopedia of that nearly extinct form of entertainment."He faults Nickell for downplaying the brutality and grim fakery of the shows, especially what he calls "prettying" the geeks.

Lake Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World's Most Elusive Creaturesis a collaboration of Nickell andBen Radford.Author Ed Grabianowski summarizes one of the many possible explanations forlake monstersightings,

... a convincing argument based, again, on data mapping. He plotted the distribution of North American lake monster sightings. Then he overlaid the distribution of the common otter and found a near perfect match. It turns out that three or four otters swimming in a line look remarkably like a serpentine, humped creature undulating through the water. It is very easy to mistake for a single creature if you see them from a distance. "This isn't speculation. I'm not making this up," Nickell said. "I've spoken to people who saw what they thought was a lake monster, got closer and discovered it was actually a line of otters. That really happens." Clearly, not every lake monster sighting can be accounted for with otters, but it's an excellent example of how our perceptions can be fooled.

Joe Nickell as a zombie
CSIConin Nashville 2012

The research forTracking the Man-Beasts: Sasquatch, Vampires, Zombies, and Moretook Nickell to many locations of reported monster sightings—the Pacific Northwest forBigfoot,Australia for theYowie,Austria forwerewolves,New England forvampires,Argentina for theChupacabra,West Virginia foraliens,and Louisiana for theswamp creatures.Nickell traces the monsters' iconography from first reports to latest sightings, concluding that the tales reflect the evolution of their cultural environment, not any basis in fact. A quote from his guide in the Louisiana swamps provides insight into the genesis of the tales, "... frightening tales could sometimes have been concocted to keep outsiders away—to safeguard prime hunting territory or even possibly to help protect moonshine stills. Charbonnet also suggested that such stories served in a bogyman fashion, frightening children so they would keep away from dangerous areas."

Young readers

In 1989, Nickell wrote his first book for young readers,The Magic Detectives: Join Them in Solving Strange Mysteries,engaging children by presenting paranormal stories in the form of mysteries with clues embedded in the narrative. The solutions, printed upside down, follow each story. The book also contains teachers' guides for additional assignments and recommended readings.

The 1991Wonder Workers! How They Perform the Impossiblewas summarized by P.J. Rooks as, "... a 200-year, biographical tour of some of the more famous shenanigans and side show splendors of both sincere and charlatan magicians... {that} guides readers on a fascinating exposé of magical history that leaves us, at the end of every page, thinking," A-ha! I was wondering how they did that! "

UFOs

In 1997, Nickell, withKendrick FrazierandBarry Karr,publishedThe UFO Invasion,an anthology ofUFOarticles written for theSkeptical Inquirercovering the topic from history and abductions toRoswellandcrop circles.The editors included six of Nickell's articles in the book. Nickell explained the physiology of alien abduction stories, "People claiming to be abducted by aliens is such an astonishing thing that you think they have either be crazy or lying, and in fact they may be perfectly sane and normal.... They probably were having these powerful waking dreams.... In this state, they tend to see bizarre imagery.... The other kind of experience is hypnosis.... Hypnosis is the yellow brick road to fantasy land."

Other investigations

The Shroud of Turin

Shroud of Turin

TheShroud of Turin,claimed to be the burial cloth of Jesus miraculously imprinted with the image of his crucified body, is one of Christianity's most famous icons. TheRoman Catholic Church,in possession of the Shroud since 1983, has allowed several public viewings and encourages devotions to the image, but takes no official position on the icon's authenticity.Nickell and others contend the Shroud is a 14th-century painting on linen, suggested through the 1988 radiocarbon dating. One of Nickell's many objections to the Shroud's authenticity is the proportions of the figure's face and body. Both are consistent with the proportions used byGothic artistsof the period and are not those of an actual person.Experts on both sides of the controversy have tried to duplicate the Shroud using medieval and modern methods. Claimants to the Shroud's authenticity believe the image could have been produced at the moment of resurrection byradiation,electrical discharge,orultraviolet radiation;Nickell created a credible shroud using thebas reliefmethod and contends that forgers had equivalent materials available during the 14th century.

People assume it was about religion.... I put together a team that had Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and agnostics.... For us it was not a religious issue, it was a matter of evidence.... You want people to be precisely correct about evidence. Details matter.

The Warrens

Although Nickell rejects the term "debunker" to describe his work, his evidenced-based investigations of paranormal events have not yet uncovered any miracles, ghosts or monsters. His insistence on documented facts led to a heated exchange withEd and Lorraine Warrenon theSallyshow in 1992. Nickell and the Warrens appeared onSally Jessy Raphael's talk show with the Snedeker family, whose reports of ghosts and demons led to the 1992 book,In A Dark Place, The Story of a True Hauntingby novelistRay Gartonand the 2009 movie,The Haunting in Connecticut.After an on-air threat of violence from Ed Warren, Nickell stated:

I've investigated haunted houses for some twenty years. I've not met a house that I thought was haunted; I think the Warrens have not met a house they didn't think was haunted.... The houses that sincere people report they think are haunted usually follow a certain pattern. This is a hodgepodge of the sort of ghost tale, poltergeist, part demon, part this, part that. We saw a similar pattern with the Amityville Horror, a case that the Warrens thought was genuine. It turned out to be a blatant hoax, concocted over several bottles of wine.

Nickell continues to cite the Warrens as an example of exploitative and harmful charlatans. He told Blake Smith, host of theMonsterTalkpodcast,

The next thing you know, the Warrens have convinced everybody that there were demons involved. Lorraine would go into one of her light trances, which would mean she would just close her eyes and haul off and say something. She would sense some demonic presence. The two of them would talk a good talk about this. You see these poor unsuspecting people who first of all don't know anything about the paranormal and not aware that there are no haunted places, only haunted people, as Robert Baker used to say. When you have someone who's an expert explaining to them that there are these different kinds of spirits and this and that and the other, they don't know any better. They think maybe these people know what they're talking about. It's interesting that in every case of this, these were Catholic families. Ed and Lorraine would show up and convince them that it was really demonic and that they really needed to use their Catholic powers of exorcism and holy water and so forth. They were converted into a demonic book and then they would get a ghost writer. All of the shenanigans would be restyled and exaggerated and spooky elements thrown in.

Aliens

Nickell proposes that alien encounters are the result of misinterpreted natural phenomena, hoaxes, or afantasy prone personality.To explain the evolving nature of alien sightings, Nickell told theSkeptics' Guide to the Universepodcast team,

I did an alien timeline, and did sort ofWalt Disney-esque cartoon drawings of the different types of aliens, starting in 1947 with somelittle green men,and showing the sort of imaginative variety of alien types over the years, of hairy dwarves, and cyclopean figures, and robotic forms and blobs and just all manner. Just as people would imagine; if I asked someone to imagine an alien creature, it would be all over the place. But then, with theBetty and Barney Hill case,you began to get the little big-eyed, big-headed humanoid, and that type came back and back until now, if you go into a toy store and you look at aliens, you see pretty much that's the standard model. Very unlikely that if life developed on some distant planet, that it would look so much like us. We tend to make the various entities that we're interested in in our own image. And so Bigfoot is our big, stupid cousin from the past, andETis our futuristic relative coming from the future back to save us. These are forms of us. Of course, ghosts are transparent forms of us;angelsare us with wings, and of course,vampiresare us with an attitude.

Magazine articles and website blogs

Nickel has written the "Investigative Files" column for theSkeptical Inquirer(SI) magazine since 1995 and contributes frequently to theCenter for Inquirywebsite. The articles reflect the range of Nickell's interests and investigative skills, includingspontaneous human combustion,ghost photographs,reincarnation,voodoo,Bigfoot,quack medicine,Elvis,psychicfrauds, andphrenology.In his SI article about theBell WitchPoltergeist, Nickell analyzed the content of the alleged Bell Manuscript for anachronistic references and word use, comparing the writing styles of Richard Williams Bell, the reported original author, and M.V. Ingram, the reporter who expanded on the story 50 years later. Nickell concludes, "Given all of these similarities between the texts, in addition to the other evidence, I have little hesitation in concluding that Ingram was the author of 'Bell'".

Nickell's writing for theCenter for Inquiry(CfI) includes "Nickell-odeon Reviews", written with an emphasis on the facts behind the scripts. Nickell adds credibility to the plot of theCharles Dickensmovie,The Invisible Woman."Although not mentioned in the movie, posthumous confirmation of the affair came fromDickens' letters.Although many had been destroyed by his family, some merely had offending passages inked out. But that cloak of invisibility was ineffective: Dickens scholars turned to forensics, using infrared photography to read the obscured portions. These contained references to "Nelly" and confirmed the persistent rumors. "

Awards

Nickell received the 2004 Isaac Asimov Award from the American Humanist Associationand was a co-recipient of the 2005 and the 2012 Robert P. Balles Prize inCritical thinking,awarded by CSICOP, now calledCSI.In 2000 was presented with theDistinguished Skepticaward from CSI.

He was also presented an award for promotion of science in popular media at the 3rd Annual Independent Investigative GroupIIGAwards, held on May 18, 2009.

In October 2011 asteroid 31451 (1999 CE10) was named JoeNickell in his honor by its discovererJames E. McGaha.

Major works

• Inquest on the Shroud of Turin: Latest Scientific Findings(Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1983). Revised edition, 1998.
• Secrets of the Supernatural: Investigating the World's Occult Mysteries(Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1988, 1991; with John F. Fischer).
• The Magic Detectives: Join Them in Solving Strange Mysteries(Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1989).
• Pen, Ink, and Evidence: A Study of Writing and Writing Materials for the Penman, Collector, and Document Detective(Oak Knoll Books: New Castle, DE; 1990, 2000, 2003).
• Wonder-Workers! How They Perform the Impossible(Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1991).
• Unsolved History: Investigating Mysteries of the Pastoriginally published asAmbrose Bierce is Missing and Other Historical Mysteries(University Press of Kentucky: Lexington; 1992, 2005).
• Missing Pieces: How to Investigate Ghosts, UFOs, Psychics, and Other Mysteries(Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1992; withRobert A. Baker).
• Mysterious Realms: Probing Paranormal, Historical, and Forensic Enigmas(Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1992; with John F. Fischer).
• Looking for a Miracle: Weeping Icons, Relics, Stigmata, Visions and Healing Cures(Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1993, 1998).
• Psychic Sleuths: ESP and Sensational Cases(Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 1994).
• Camera Clues: A Handbook for Photographic Investigation(University Press of Kentucky: Lexington; 1994, 2005).
• Entities: Angels, Spirits, Demons, and Other Alien Beings(Prometheus Books:Amherst, NY; 1995).
• Detecting Forgery: Forensic Investigation of Documents(University Press of Kentucky: Lexington; 1996, 2005).
• The Outer Edge: Classic Investigations of the Paranormal(CSICOP:Amherst, NY; 1996, co-edited with Barry Karr and Tom Genoni).
• The UFO Invasion: The Roswell Incident, Alien Abductions, and Government Coverups(Prometheus Books:Amherst, NY; 1997; co-edited withKendrick Frazierand Barry Karr).
• Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection(University Press of Kentucky: Lexington; 1999; with co-author John F. Fischer).
• Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal(University Press of Kentucky: Lexington; 2001).
• The Kentucky Mint Julep(University Press of Kentucky: Lexington; 2003).
• Investigating the Paranormal(Barnes & NobleBooks: New York; 2004).
• The Mystery Chronicles: More Real-Life X-Files(University Press of Kentucky: Lexington; 2004).
• Secrets of the Sideshows(University Press of Kentucky: Lexington; 2005).
• Cronache del Misterio(Newton Compton editori: Rome; 2006).
• Lake Monster Mysteries: Investigating the World's Most Elusive Creatures,(University Press of Kentucky: Lexington; 2006; with co-author Benjamin Radford).
• Relics of the Christ(University Press of Kentucky: Lexington; 2007).
• Adventures in Paranormal Investigation(University Press of Kentucky:Lexington; 2007).
• Tracking The Man-Beasts: Sasquatch, Vampires, Zombies, and More(Prometheus Books: Amhurst, NY; 2011).
• Real or Fake: Studies in Authentication(University Press of Kentucky:Lexington; 2009).
• CSI Paranormal,(Inquiry Press): Amherst, NY; 2012.
• The Science of Ghosts(Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 2012).
• The Science of Miracles: Investigating the Incredible(Prometheus Books: Amherst, NY; 2013).

External links

• Skepticon 4, Undercover! Paranormal Investigations by Joe NickellNovember 30, 2011, on YouTube, 38 minutes.
• Dragon*Con 9 Joe Nickell and Graham Watkins Discuss CryptozoologySeptember 15, 2009, on YouTube, 64 minutes.
• Darwin Week 2012 Investigating the Paranormal by Joe NickellFebruary 19, 2012, on YouTube, 76 minutes.