Do:

• Start with living relatives - collect stories and documents
• Go back in time generation by generation
• Seek evidence (also known as primary sources--official documents, materials, etc.)
• Be critical of all information sources (including relatives and the Internet)
• Search variations of your ancestor's name
• Keep good notes and organized files

Don't:

• Start with I'm related to someone famous
• Start with my family immigrated from a specific country
• Believe everything you find on the Internet