There is a lot of information that you will get that you would have gathered from sources that are verbal in nature. And this could be something that you have heard about from your grandfather or grandmother. It is important to also start verifying the information and getting documented information about what has been noted down.

The collection of these records can start with your own birth certificate and marriage certificate (if you are married). Getting a ring binder along with sheets of acid free sheet protectors would also be a great idea. Records can be primary or secondary in nature. Those, that are documented immediately after the event by someone who has firsthand information about the event is called a primary record. Examples of these include federal census data, probate records, church records, military records and social security applications. Secondary records printed genealogies, local histories and transcriptions. These should ideally be used as clues to get ideas about where to source some primary data from.

Some of the online sources that can help you obtain primary and secondary data include vitalrec.com, deathindexes.com and family history library catalog. The census data can also be used to get information. It is a good thing to start with the country and state where your ancestors lived. It is often the case that the family name is spelt differently. So if you do not find your family name in the first instance, try by changing the spelling slightly to see what you get. Often the nickname is used in the census data too.