Five Essential Tips for Genealogical Research 1. STAY ORGANIZED! Use indexed notebooks and/or computer software. 2. DOCUMENT ALL SOURCES! As each bit of information is entered into your database, make a note where it came from. 3. DON'T BLINDLY TRUST THE RESEARCH OF OTHERS! Of course, this applies to Internet genealogy, but even books were compiled by humans...and humans make mistakes. Just because it's in a book, doesn't make it fact. Keep an open mind. 4. BEWARE OF FAMILY RUMORS AND STORIES! Use the legend as a reference tool, but don't accept a story as fact until you have the evidence to prove it! 5. NAMES CHANGE! Remember that surname spellings changed over the centuries, sometimes drastically. Don't limit yourself to current spellings.