Talk to your relatives, especially the older ones. They have an absolute wealth of knowledge and if you don’t get it recorded as soon as you can, it could be too late. Try to double-check everything – time can do strange things to people’s memories. Local newspapers can be a great source of stories and corroborative evidence. Old-fashioned handwriting can be very difficult to read at first. Make sure you read the documents in good light and use a magnifying glass if necessary. The more familiar you become with old scripts, the easier it is. Perseverance is the key. If you wish to contact a hitherto unknown relative it’s best to write them a letter or email as a first contact. This is less threatening than just turning up on their doorstep. Old family friends could have photos of your family as well as their own. Use the Internet to find family forums and other information, but don’t take anything at face value. The Internet contains just as much erroneous information as any other source. Duplicate and back up your research as often as you can. Have a good look at family history magazines. There’s a good selection and most contain sections for novices, computer users and general historians. Many have cover CDs with trial and shareware family history programs.