6) Search and Re-Search - The missing pieces of your family tree may very well be swimming among the billions of Web pages that make up the Internet. Learn a few advanced search techniques (unless you have an unusual last name you're going to need to learn to narrow down the results), and then head over to Google.com for some search engine fun. Try your searches multiple ways to make sure that you don't miss any gems. And don't forget to keep track of what you find where!
More: Finding Your Ancestors on the Internet, 12 Google Search Tips for Genealogists
7) Learn About Where They Lived - Unless you come from an old family that has always lived in the same town, it is very important to understand your family's migration and location. Search out old maps online or order some for delivery to your home and pinpoint the various places where your ancestors lived. Research the changing political and geographical boundaries as it is likely that the town where your family lived now may have existed under a different governing body at some point in its past (one parcel of my ancestor's land existed in 5 different NC counties at different time periods without ever moving, as the state's population grew and new counties were formed from the old).
More: Mapping Out Your Family Tree, House Histories: Researching the Genealogy of Your Home
8) Go Local - Whether your family comes from Texas or Timbuktu, there are a wealth of locality-specific research sites, mailing lists, message boards, surname queries, tutorials and databases available. USGenWeb is the best jumping off point for U.S. locations, while ArchiviaNet covers Canada, GENUKI rules in the UK and WorldGenWeb is a good place to start for just about any place else.
More: Genealogy Resources by Region
9) Root Through Records - Hand in hand with looking local, it's also time to look at specific records. Census records, wills, birth records, marriage certificates, land deeds - they are all available online for certain locations and specific time periods. From EllisIslandRecords.com for U.S. immigration records and FreeBMD for birth, marriage and death records from England and Wales, to digitized U.S. census records at Ancestry.com and early UK wills at Documents Online, many of the world's governments are putting digitized documents and transcribed indexes online. Some of these sites are free and some require a subscription, but all are making it easier for genealogists to find their family trees from home.
More: Genealogy Records & Databases
10) Bone Up on History - Flesh out the "history" in your family history by browsing online newspapers and historical sites that relate to the times and places where your ancestors lived. Just about anything can give you insight into your ancestor's lives - from influenza outbreaks and wartime advertisements to skirt lengths and the price of bread.
More: How to Find & Use Newspapers to Uncover Family History
