It is necessary to document the sources that underpin your findings about your ancestor.  The documentation should be by a citation to the actual place you found the information.  Source citations serve a number of purposes:
 

Help readers identify and relocate the source work.

State the title of the book or record that has the facts. If it is a family story your grandmother told you, say so.

	Provide evidence that the position is true. No matter how much you trust aunt Martha's notes, no one else trusts them !!! Scholarly writing is grounded in research that can be repeated by other persons. Citations allow you to demonstrate that your position or argument is thoroughly researched and that it is not just something "made up".
	Give credit to the original researcher or author. Giving proper attribution to those whose research, thoughts and words, is morally (and often legally) the right thing to do.

Have you ever known someone whose life would make an intriguing novel or mystery? What about your ancestors? Their lives could read like well-crafted fiction.

Whether your forebears were farmers, craftsmen, or laborers, they deserve your attention. After all, there's something of them in you. In fact, you may be named after an ancestor. Quick -- can you name your four grandparents?

Genealogy begins at home
Genealogy is:

	The study of lineages: links between parents and children in each generation
	Family history: experiences and details that make your ancestors' lives interesting

During the holidays, do you plan to be around or in touch with relatives? What better time to talk and tape record? Question Grandma about her experiences during the Great Depression or Dad about World War II. Ask for their memories of their parents and grandparents. Also, be sure to take time to remember and record your memories of the ancestors you have known.

As you interact with family members, inquire about photos, family Bibles, miscellaneous papers, letters, or scrapbooks. Such items often contain ancestral names, birth and death dates, and other details that help link one generation to the previous one. From relatives and their mementos, gather the names, dates, places, and relationships that link you to your parents, them to their parents, and so forth.

Tips for success
The goal of genealogy is accurate lineages. Be sure to:

	Focus on specific individuals rather than surname origins
	Study ancestors in their time and place
	Learn about siblings and cousins in each generation
	Recognize that family tradition may or may not be accurate
	Work backward one generation at a time; don't skip one
	Write down -- document -- where you get your information
	Read a comprehensive genealogy book to sharpen you investigative and documentation skills
	Remember: genealogy software is a convenience, not a requirement.

As you gather information, you will find ancestral names spelled in various ways. Records of the past may spell one person's name five different ways. Also be alert to the possibility of more than one person with the same name.

When you identify immigrant ancestors, learn everything you can about them in their adopted country before attempting to find them in their native land. Doing this increases your chance of success.