1) In the experimental section of the papers the preparation should be (at least shortly) mentioned. For special samples one might dig out underlying PhD thesis, were often more details are mentioned.
2) In textbooks about the specific method preparation should be mentioned.
3) I guess you will not do all the analysis with the different methods yourself: discuss it with the operators: which methods are already available and tested.
4) The methods you plan to use may require different preparation, e.g. several samples.
Preparation depending on your material and electrode preparation method. For CV you should have potentiostat system and you can use three electrode system. It’s better that the electrode maintains in electrolyte for night. it let the electrolyte to penetrate in active material of electrode.
Usually the active material of electrode before fabrication of electrode used for SEM, XRD, EDX, FTIR, XPS analysis. If you have powder, you can use it for this analysis. But if your material is wet or in liquid phase you should freeze dryer. Freeze dryer is necessary specially for SEM and BET to maintaining the porosity of material.