The most important thing to remember during your investigation is to conduct your investigation in a professional manner and to be respectful. Your reputation as an investigator and as an investigative team depends on how you conduct yourself and your investigation.
 
Respect the dead, your fellow team members and the location. Do not remove items from the location. Do not take something from the site as a soveneir. Respect your team members and treat them with the kindness and patience that you would expect. Remember everyone is entitled to their own opinions. And everyone will not always agree. Every team member may not agree with your opinion, but that does not mean you should disrespect them.
 
Do not litter. Leave the investigation site just as you found it. Remove all trash that you have discarded during your investigation.

The first thing that you need to do after deciding on a location is to get permission to conduct an investigation of the area. Check area for No Trespassing signs. If these signs are posted, DO NOT try to conduct an investigation at that site.Do not conduct an investigation until permission is granted for your team to investigate.
 
Make sure to check out the location during daytime hours to familiarize yourself and your team members with the area since it will be dark during your investigation. Never go to an unsafe location. Safety should be your main concern. The risks of investigating a condemned building are not worth it.
 
Do your homework. Learn as much as you can about the area and the history of the investigation site. Newspapers, town historians, residents of the town,the internet,owners and/or previous owners/tenants and books can be helpful in finding imformation about the location.
 
Never go alone. Always have a team with you during an investigation. Not only does it help to have witnesses to verify any activity that may occur, it help ensure safety in the event of an emergency. Always inform someone that you are going on an investigation. Let them know where you are going and when you should return. If the investigation takes long than expected call them and let them know.
 
It is always helpful to say a pray or blessing before your investigation to assure the safety of you and your team members. And be sure to state your purpose to the ghostly occupants at the investigation location. Be sure to let them know you mean no harm.

Always carry some form of photo ID. You need to be able to identify yourself and your team at all times.
 
Be aware of the weather conditions. You do not want to be conducting an investigation when bad weather is expected. Weather and driving conditions should always be considered. Dust, pollen, rain, snow, mist and fog can photograph as orbs. In cold weather, be ware of your breath can also photograph as mist. Always hold your breath before taking photo. Hail, rain or high winds can contaminate any audio recordings.
 
Do not smoke, drink alcohol or take drugs before or during an investigation. This will contaminate your investigation and impair judgement.

Do not joke or play practical joke. Your investigation is a very serious matter. It should be conducted in a professional manner.

The best times are from 9pm to 6am, but anytime can produce results. Photos can produce results at any time of day or night.

Never wear colognes, perfumes or aftershave. Anything that creates a noticeable odor can team members judgement on smells during an investigation. Use only odor free bug sprays.

Make sure all hair and camera straps and any cords are tied and taped back. These can produce false images on film. Remove all jewelry to lessen the risk of reflections in the light. Dangling jewelry can also create sound that will effect your audio recording.
 
Dress appropraitely. Do not risk heat stroke or frost bite. Always keep an extra set of clothes and blankets in the car. You do not want to be stranded with a dead battery(one good reason not to use car lights as a light source other than setting up) or wet clothes. One important tip: Do not wear new shoes to an investigation. New shoes have a tendency to make noise when walking. Also be aware of wet shoes and shoes will heels. These factors will comtaminate audio recordings.
 
Take food and water. Water and enery bars are a must have on every investigation. You do not want to cut your investigation short because everyone is thirsty or hungry.
 
Always wear a watch. Documentation of time is needed on investigation. NON-DIGITAL watch with a sweeping second hand. Digital equipment may malfunction.
 
Do not whisper during an investigation. Speak clearly and at a level volume. Whispers can be mistaken when recording during your investigation. Make sure that you can distinguish between researcher's voice and other voices and sounds.
 
Document everything and throw nothing away. Every piece of evident is important. It may not seem important at the time of your investigation, but when reviewing your evidence it can help clear up any questions that you may have. Be sure to keep  detailed notes of everything you and your team members do during an investigation. You will need to record the time and a description of everything that happens and the team does. Keep your log book with you at all times. Make sure all documentation accurate. Your reputation depends on accurate documentation. You need to document all activity, noises and movement. Make sure to document everything. What happened, where, when, how long it lasted, what direction movement or noise came from and direction it moved to and what you and team memeber doing and where you were located. Document any and all noises such as someone dropping something,coughing or making any noise, a noise outside, cars passing by the location. Documentation must be very detailed.

All information concerning the investigation should remain confidential. Do not release locations, names, phone numbers, or faces in photo's unless receiving in writting a release of information from witnesses or owners.

Examine all equipment before starting your investigation. Do not open or take anything out of their packaging before your arrival. Open and load all film, audio tapes and video tapes once you arrived at your location. This will help lessen your chances of someone saying the film or tapes where contaminated before your arrival. Be sure to check your equipment during your investigation to make sure it is still working.
 
Always remember to have a positive attidude while conducting an investigation. Negative feelings will have an impact on your investigation.
 
Finally, please be sure to thanks those that granted permission for your team to conduct an investigation. This will help your team to maintain a profession image and help in the event of future return investigation at the locations. And it is always helpful to thank the ghost that have enabled you to conduct your research.