Organize early and often. It will make your research more effective and save a lot of time.

I use a basic family tree program and print out a hard copy of my documents.

Keep detailed research notes, so that you know where you’ve been and what you’ve looked at.

Don’t forget to document negatives. If you disprove something, it is just as important to have that research trail.

Keep up with citations as you find documents, otherwise it’s a nightmare to find a document again.