1. Start with yourself, and get your birth certificate. DO NOT start with any ancestor other than yourself and your parents -- get a copy of their birth certificates as well.

2. Understand old-fashioned terminology: a hundred years ago, a man and his wife became one entity, so the husband's sister-in-law became his sister, the wife's brothers-in-law became her brothers. In those days, the term "cousin" was used to mean any relation other than the immediate family, so nephews and nieces were often referred to as cousins.

3. Check the old books in your parents' and grandparents' libraries. In days gone by, paper was expensive, so often notes were made in books like Bibles, recipe books and work manuals. You may find a clue to a long-long ancestor in a recipe book.

4. When you go to visit relatives, take your digital camera, because many people don’t want you to walk off with their precious mementos. It only takes a minute to snap pictures of old photographs for your records.

5. If some family members are reluctant to share information, let it go. The idea of researching the family tree may seem strange to them; chances are they will come around and will help you if you're relaxed about it.

6. Beware of database collections of names and indices. It's easy to collect huge compilations of data, but even if you find names you're looking for in an index, you have no way of knowing whether these are your specific relatives. Take the sure and steady route and look for documentation: if you have the birth records you KNOW, you don’t have to guess.

7. Become a volunteer. As you enter the world of family tree research and become knowledgeable, share your knowledge with others. Volunteer at your local historical society or genealogical society. Look in your local phone book or newspaper, or ask at the library for contact details.

8. Consider privacy: birth, marriage and other details of living persons should not be shared online or offline.

9. Watch for free genealogical courses at your local library. Now that family tree research is so popular, many libraries hold short courses (lasting a couple of hours) on how to conduct library research.

10. Get a good magnifying glass to help decipher old documents, and to look closely at old photographs. You can find them at any office-supply store. If you're really enthusiastic, try a Magnabrite magnifier, from http://www.magnabrite.com/html/home.htm.

Chris Simeral is the creator of the 7 Day Family Tree Genealogy Research Toolkit. To learn how to stop researching your genealogy the hard way, or to access the free genealogy mini-course, visit http://www.7DayFamilyTree.com.

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