An Orthogonal Classification Protocol for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena - aka UFOs

This paper defines a four-channel classification system that makes orthogonal what current UAP systems conflate. Existing frameworks (Hynek, Hendry, Henke) mix observation type, anomaly intensity, causal mechanism, and data quality—producing circular definitions and the systematic inability to record well-documented anomalies. The OGDQ Protocol assigns four independent scores: O (structural category), G (distance from explanation), D (identified mechanism), and Q (data quality). We prove these channels are logically independent and validate the framework empirically across 86,625 cases from two national databases. In the German GEP database (6,294 cases, 1972–2025), where Hynek/Hendry classification is applied, 100% of high-quality (Q1) cases are classified as explained (G0). In the US NUFORC database (80,331 cases), where no classification system is applied, only 21.5% of Q1 cases are G0. This 78.5 percentage point difference demonstrates that the conflation is systemic—a property of the classification methodology, not the data. Conclusion: Classification without orthogonality is merely measurement without calibration. By separating observation, anomaly, mechanism, and quality, the OGDQ Protocol finally enables researchers to test whether UAP are just mistakes (H₀) or a distinct class of phenomena (H₁). Even if every UAP is eventually identified as conventional, the protocol remains valid because it prevents the data contamination that currently makes scientific analysis impossible. Plain Language Summary: Current UFO classification systems mix together four different things: what was seen, how strange it was, what caused it, and how good the evidence is. This mixing makes it impossible to record a well-documented unexplained case—the better the evidence, the more likely it gets labelled "explained." We tested this across 86,625 reports from Germany and the USA. In Germany, where the old system is used, 100% of high-quality cases are called explained. In the USA, without that system, only 21.5% are. The difference is not in the UFOs—it is in the classification. Our new system (OGDQ) separates these four dimensions so researchers can finally ask: are UFOs real phenomena or just mistakes?