How to Make Your Own Paranormal Investigation Paperwork

I have written several articles relating to the topic of paranormal investigations and the paperwork involved and I have found that one of the main replies to my articles is that a lot of people don't seem to know where to start. With questions like, "How do you know what you need?" and "I don't want my client forms to sound stupid, how do I word them?" I felt that it was time to do an article about how to create your own forms. This article is a compilation of what I have learned over the years in regards to paperwork as well as some tips that seem to work well when putting that paperwork together.

The first thing that all investigators need to understand is that there is a minimum of two parts to your paperwork. One part is for the client's and the other part is for the investigators. There can be other parts if a group finds it necessary, but the client and investigators part are the most important as well as the most used. Before you begin I encourage everyone to take some time and surf the Net for examples of paperwork that other paranormal groups use. For your search you can try putting in "paranormal investigation paperwork", "paranormal investigation forms", "paranormal client agreement" or any other similar wording that you can think of. As you can see from just those three examples, slight wording difference can leave some confusion as to what form each group is talking about. Because of that, when you are talking to another group be sure to state what the form is for as well as what you call it.

While you are reading through the different forms be sure to take note of any points that you feel should be added to your paperwork. You will more than likely find that some groups have statements that may seem a bit pointed and out of place. This is usually due to an experience that the group encountered and felt that for any future investigations that point needed to be covered in the paperwork. One example of this would be a form that states, "We agree not to use any materials and/or equipment that will damage furniture." Most forms do not include a statement like that, but because this particular group had an incident where the tape they used left adhesive on an antique, they felt it necessary to assure any future clients that they will not do that again. Be prepared to revise whatever paperwork you originally create at a later date if need be.

Once you have your list of things that you want included in your paperwork you are ready to start putting things in order. From your list rearrange your notes in order. Remember, there is a minimum of two parts, so try and keep those parts separate. An example of a list order could be:

Client forms:

Client Agreement

Client Questionnaire

Client Interview

Permission To Investigate

Evidence Release

Retraction of Refusal to Release Evidence

Client Summary Report

Follow Up Questionnaire

Investigators forms:

Investigation Report

Location History

Incident Report

Activity Log

Investigators Private Information/Observations

Observation Log

CCTV Time Sheet

Audio Findings

Depending on your group, their experience and your gear, all of the above may not be needed but other forms might. Consider what needs it's own area and what can be combined with little or no confusion on the same page.

Now you are ready to get to work creating your paperwork. Let's start with the client forms first. Our group calls our main client form the 'Client Agreement', as it is our agreement with our client over what will be done, what they can expect and anything that is expected of them. The most important part of the client agreement is that a group only adds things that they know they can adhere to. Do not put a privacy statement unless you can fully uphold it. Whereas most court systems will allow a document that shows clearly that both parties knew what they were getting into when both signed, any breach of the agreement can leave you high and dry. Do not make promises that you either won't be able to keep or have no intention of keeping. Do not promise results, as you simply do not know at the point of signing the agreement (generally prior to any investigations) if there is anything there to begin with. A client agreement should state what your group plans on doing, how they plan on doing it, whatever privacy policy you feel comfortable stating and any other items that you feel the client should be notified about and need to agree to. While it is best to try and cover as much ground as possible in one document you also do not want the client agreement to read like a book and it should definitely be shorter than this article. Our Client Agreement is one page in Microsoft Word, including date and signature lines. Wording is important when trying to condense so if you have a group or family member that is particularly good with words I would encourage you to ask them if they would mind writing it. Here is a list of some things to keep in mind when you are writing the client agreement as well as any other forms used with the client:

• Remember that your paperwork is often the first examples of your work that your client's see, therefore it should be a reflection of how you would like your group perceived. It is up to you to decide if you want your paperwork neat and tidy or loose and disorganized. "Clean" paperwork makes for easier filling out and is also attracts the eye, leaving a professional and positive impression.
• Say what you need to say and try not to add less important points if they are not needed or have already been implied.
• When wording your documents, try to do them as if you were speaking to the client. That way you keep everything easy to read and understand for your group and the client. If nobody understands completely what the text says than it becomes harder to work with the paperwork and keep the client's calm at the same time. "Legal speak" might be fine for lawyers, but it can easily scare off clients from signing. \

Because most beliefs and practices differ between groups (and sometimes even between members of groups), every agreement will more than likely be a bit different. A few websites have examples that can be used by anyone. If you are really struggling to come up with your own wording then you can start with one of the example documents and change it to fit your group's needs.

A 'Permission to Investigate' form is a must. It is generally a short document, but perhaps one of the mot important one. This document should say something to the affect that the landowner/leaser/renter/or otherwise responsible party gives you and your group permission to be on their land, in their building(s) and any other specified locations in order to conduct a paranormal investigation. Many groups will include what equipment they will be using. The form should state date and times that you have permission to be on the property as well as include the client's signature, written name and contact phone number. That way, should your group be questioned if the client is not present you have the paperwork to back you up as well as a contact number that you can call.

The 'Evidence Release' form that is listed above is optional. A lot of groups tend to incorporate the Permission to Release Evidence to the investigators in with the Client Agreement. Whereas that can and does work for most of those groups, personally I like to break the two apart. The reason for making them separate forms is because if a client signs the Client Agreement but declines releasing the evidence we just lost an investigation. I would rather have the investigation, even if we can't release the evidence than not have an investigation at all. So far there has been no conflict in getting both forms signed. Just incase we ever do have someone decline signing the Evidence Release form we do have a Retraction of Refusal to Release Evidence form which we would leave with the client as well as send with the Follow Up Questionnaire after the investigation has ended.

The 'Client Summary Report' is actually a mix of client and investigator paperwork. Basically it is a question and answer form that the investigator fills out after an investigation (leaving space at the bottom for any extra comments) and either hand copies or sends a copy to the client to inform them of what happened during the investigation. Again, some groups do not use a form of this type but we have found that clients like to have the written report to share with others (or keep for themselves) instead of trying to remember everything that was said to them verbally. Any other client forms can be done in much of the same way. It depends on the group how far they want to take the paperwork. Personally I find that having the organization and written reminders of what happened helps when I am going through my investigation files.

Now on to the investigators forms. This will be a bit shorter as most of the forms required for an investigation contain empty spaces that get filled in during an investigation. Of the forms mentioned before, the Activity Log, CCTV Time Sheet, Audio Findings, Observation Log and Location History are mostly blank pages until an investigation is in progress or after one has been done. Having the paperwork actually printed out for each of them saves you the time and disorganization of simply grabbing a notebook or other piece of paper and trying to keep everything together for that case later. Not to mention that from the client perspective your group looks much more organized and professional.

The 'Investigation Report' is your form for knowing what is going on before and during an investigation as well as other miscellaneous information. Our group Investigation Report includes the following: date, time, weather and temperature, solar activity information for the day, exact location (address), a list of places to be investigated at the location, reasons for the investigation, all investigators names and applicable titles, each investigators duties, personal findings from each investigator (list anything major and do not be afraid to say "found nothing conclusive") and overall conclusions of how the investigation went and how the team did. This form should then be signed by the lead investigator and initialed by the rest of the investigation team.

The 'Incident Report' should be used by anyone present during an investigation (client or investigators) that feels that something happened to them of significance during an investigation. If an incident happened to more than one person at the same time then all involved should fill out separate Incident Reports. This form can also be used if something seemingly odd happened while a location was empty. Whoever is first to notice should be the one to fill out the report. Our Incident Report includes spaces for: date, exact location (if in a building note the room), exact or approximate time of occurrence, noting what you were doing immediately before the occurrence happened, and room to state in full detail what happened. If there is no time to write a report at the location be sure to take a verbal recording to work from later. Not everything will seem of interest at the time but when looking back through the reports after an investigation light can be shed on something that may have happened. If you use this form it will more than likely be the one that you make copies of the most as several can be used for each investigation.

Whereas the 'Observation Log' and 'Investigators Private Information/Observations' are very similar, the private one is just that; private. The private log is not shared with the client, but the Observation Log can be if your group decides to. Both forms are exactly what they say. One or more persons should make it a point to take note of anything that happens (or doesn't happen) during an investigation. This can be anything from how the group is reacting to all out paranormal activity (which should have an Incident Report to accompany it). The private form is only for filing purposes. This is filled out after an investigation and away from the clients. An investigator can feel free to add any thoughts or feelings about the clients (good or bad), first impressions, thoughts or theories as to what really might be happening, etc. The private form is useful especially if the client contacts you again later as it will help you remember what you thought at the time.

As you can see, there is more to an investigation than just investigating and the paperwork is a very important part of any serious groups equipment. By breaking up the parts of the paperwork, the task doesn't seem quite so daunting and in fact makes creating your own much easier. Should you still have any questions about making your own paperwork for paranormal investigations, please feel free to contact me and I will be glad to try and help.