1) Please show respect to the owners of the property you’re investigating by gaining their permission first. Trespassing can get you in trouble with the law and in turn compromise the integrity of not only your group but others in the paranormal field as well.
2) Always make sure your team visits any place you’re going to be investigating during the day to become familiar with it first. This will help everyone attending the investigation to identify any hazardous areas that could potentially become pitfalls for injuries in the dark.
3) Log everything! The smallest of details can be extremely important when attempting to discern whether or not something truely paranormal has happened.
4) Always remove the strap from any camera used during your investigation. It reduces the possibility of it showing up in one or several of your photos, creating a "false positive".
5) If you have long hair, tie it back before taking photos. This also reduces the chance of getting a "false positive" in your photos.
6) Frequently clean the lense of your camera. This will reduce the possibility of capturing things such as smudges, dirt and dust in your photos that could be mistaken for anomalies.
7) Never take photographs in adverse weather such as rain or snow and be mindful of your breath during extremely cold weather. It can appear as an anomaly in photographs as well. You may try holding your breath for a few seconds prior to snapping each photo. Smoking is also something you should refrain from while on an investigation and taking photographs for the same reason.
8) Be aware of the area you're photographing in. A flash bouncing off anything with a reflective surface can cause anomalies in photos such as the appearance of strange lights and orbs. This also holds true for outdoor photography. Be mindful of any lights from the street, ie passing cars and homes in the background that might show up in a picture.
9) Never wear perfume or cologne to your investigation. Spirits will sometimes make themselves known through various types of scents. If this occurs, it is better to remove all doubt that it may be someone on your team.
10) When doing EVP work, speak in your normal voice and try to be as clear as possible. When it's dark and quiet most people have a natural tendency to whisper when they speak. This could cause some confusion when you're reviewing your recordings.
11) Also time stamp any noises that you hear on your recorder that are anything other than paranormal. This includes passing cars, trains, airplains, and anyone attending the investigation or not that may be nearby talking. These noises can easily be mistaken for EVP's.
12) It's always good to get baseline readings with your temperature gauge as well as your EMF detector before beginning your investigation. This will let you know the general temperature of the building which can fluctuate if a manifestation occurs resulting in a possible cold spot. A Baseline EMF reading will help identify any major electrical interferences that could cause spikes on the EMF detector that are anything other than paranormal. Log this information so you can refer back to it if any changes occur.
13) Never go anywhere alone. Remember there is always safety in numbers. In case of an injury or an emergency it's better to have someone with you who can assist in getting help. It is also a good idea in the event that you experience any kind of paranormal activity for validation purposes.
More to come...