Protocols (For Our Team):

Investigation Protocols

 •           No horse play.  Any faking of paranormal activity, for whatever reason, is absolutely not acceptable.

 *          Dress appropriately.  Wear clothes to keep you warm when necessary and cool when necessary, and wear protective clothing when necessary.  Always dress in a manner that will make you look professional.  The final call rests with the team director.  Please keep in mind that we wish to break away from the stereotypes of paranormal researchers.

 *          Absolutely no use of foul or offensive language during an investigation.

 *          No determinations will ever be made as to whether there exists spirits, ghosts or hauntings in any location.  That is up to those who view our evidence and data.  However, we will always supply education and possible theories about hauntings and the paranormal.

*         There will be no smoking at the investigation site, and there will be no consumption of alcohol, illegal drugs, or any drugs which may affect judgment or perceptive abilities.

 •           Verbal communication must be kept to a minimum and only related to the investigation while the investigation is in progress.  This is for the benefit of EVP capture, as well as staying focused on the task at hand.

 *          No whispering.  It is too difficult to distinguish whispers from EVPs, and is too difficult to distinguish one whispered voice from another.  Use a normal speaking voice.

 •           If an accidental sound is made, the person who made the sound must say out loud, “That was me.”  This is for the benefit of the recording so as not to taint the analysis later.

 •           All equipment and straps must be secured so as to avoid interference with the recording of activity.

 •           All long hair must be tied back.

 •           No pictures are to be taken in rain, snow, dust, or high winds, except for identification of locations.

 •           No pictures are to be taken directly toward a light source.

 •           A detached microphone must be used for audio and video recorders.

•           All “no trespassing” signs will be observed and nobody will go where they have been asked not to go.  Permission must be obtained to enter private property.

•           When taking pictures during cold weather, the investigator should hold his breath while snapping the shot.

•           All investigators should make themselves aware of the location of the other investigators so as not to confuse normal activity with paranormal activity.

•           All investigators must carry and use a flashlight and some means of taking notes.  A recording device may be used for this purpose, such that notes can be spoken into the recording device.

•           All camera lenses must be cleaned before the investigation. 

•           The location of all electrical equipment cords should be made known and noted to other team members.

•           Meter spikes must be noted as either transient or stationary.  If there is an obvious cause for the spike, that must also be noted.

•           All investigators should be made aware of any motion detectors and should avoid them.  Motion detectors can be deployed to locations within the site where investigators are not present and then moved to other locations when those can be investigated.

Investigation Procedures

•           All investigations will be held at night in darkness, and preferably with as little electrical apparatus at the site as possible.

•           Watches, time devices, and equipment should be synchronized at the beginning of the investigation.

•           Notes must be taken as to the time when each area is entered and by whom, and if material, the location of individuals within that area.

•           The time and nature of each anomalous event must be noted, as well as the person who witnessed it.

•           The time of the beginning and end of recordings must be notated.

•           The time of each still picture taken must be notated.

•           An anomalous event is defined as one or more occurrences of anything paranormal (outside of a normal explanation).  The beginning of the event happens with the first occurrence and continues for as long as other occurrences happen within a few minutes of each other (about 15 minutes).

•           If something anomalous occurs, if it is possible, an attempt must be made to try and recreate the activity at the investigative site.  “Sensing” something and strange or odd feelings (if desired) will be used only for designating possible places to observe potential anomalous activity, but will not be considered anomalous.  Attempts should be made to capture all non-equipment recorded anomalous activity, or should be witnessed by at least one other person wherever possible. 

•           Two sweeps of the site will be made:  an initial sweep and a secondary sweep for comparison.

Analysis Protocols

•           All anomalies should be examined by at least two people whenever possible, and there should be agreement reached on the nature of the anomaly.

*          It is very important that as many team members as possible participate in the analysis.  We all play a part.

•           All data must be examined.  All parts of recordings must be observed from all sources.

•           Audio and video will not be manipulated other than cutting, pasting, increased volume for clarity, or negatives of video for clarity in the final report.  Noise reduction in audio will can be used to locate potential anomalies but will be notated and included with original clips.

•           EVPs should be classified in the following categories:

Volume:  Prominent, Audible, or Faint

Clarity:  Clear, Distinguishable, or Garbled

Relevance (to the context of the situation):  Applicable, Possibly Related, or Unrelated

For example, a voice speaking very clearly in a manner that is easily heard and appears to be directly answering a question from an investigator would be considered Prominent, Clear, Applicable.

•           A time line must be established with all prominent events, such as times of areas entered, times of beginnings and endings of data gathering on devices, and times of observed anomalous activities, as well as anything else that might be pertinent.