A foundational standard for all work conducted under the Institute of Paranormal Analytical Sciences.
1. Integrity and Responsibility
Uphold the highest standards of honesty, accuracy, and clarity in all research, fieldwork, documentation, and public communication. Prioritize ethical responsibility over personal interest, recognition, or narrative preference. Represent findings truthfully, without embellishment, dramatization, or selective omission.
2. Respect for People, Places, and Cultures
Approach all sites, histories, and communities with cultural sensitivity and contextual awareness. Treat the grieving, the vulnerable, and those seeking understanding with dignity, compassion, and non‑exploitation. Avoid sensationalizing trauma, tragedy, or culturally significant events.
3. Non‑Exploitation of the Dead and the Mourning
Do not use death, loss, or grief as entertainment, content, or leverage. Do not claim communication, messages, or contact with the deceased. Do not engage in practices that mimic mediumship, channeling, or spiritual authority.
4. Evidence Integrity
Never fabricate, alter, manipulate, enhance, or stage evidence, data, or environmental conditions. Maintain transparent documentation practices, including limitations, uncertainties, and alternative explanations. Distinguish clearly between observed data, environmental factors, psychological factors, cultural interpretation, symbolic meaning, and anomalous events. Embrace the debunking process as a core ethical responsibility.
5. Professional Conduct
Conduct all fieldwork and research with professionalism, clarity, and preparedness. Do not work while impaired in any capacity. Seek collaboration when needed; avoid isolation that compromises safety or accuracy. Maintain boundaries with the public, clients, and collaborators.
6. Safety and Non‑Harm
Do not harm people, animals, environments, or property in the pursuit of research or documentation. Do not trespass, break laws, or violate site restrictions. Do not conduct research in unsafe conditions without proper training, equipment, or support.
7. Competence and Continuous Learning
Do not perform investigations, analyses, or interpretive work without adequate training and understanding. Pursue ongoing education in cultural studies, environmental science, psychology, history, and related fields. Use only verifiable credentials; do not claim expertise you have not legitimately earned.
8. Transparency and Public Trust
Do not mislead the public for attention, profit, or influence. Do not sell devices, apps, or tools under false claims of paranormal functionality. Clearly differentiate between research, interpretation, speculation, narrative, and uncertainty.
9. Anti‑Exploitation and Anti‑Performance
Reject celebrity‑style paranormal culture, spectacle, and illusionism. Do not imitate or collaborate with performers who stage paranormal events or fabricate experiences. Avoid ego‑driven practices, popularity contests, and clout‑seeking behaviors.
10. Ethical Community Engagement
Treat peers with respect, humility, and fairness. Avoid bullying, gatekeeping, cult‑like dynamics, or manipulative group behavior. Encourage constructive criticism and open dialogue. Support the elevation of the field through ethical modeling, not dominance or competition.
11. Commitment to the Discipline
Uphold the standards of IPAS in all public and private work. Protect the field from misinformation, exploitation, and unethical practices. Serve as a model of grounded, culturally intelligent, ethically aligned paranormal inquiry.
© 2026 Institute of Paranormal Analytical Sciences
