Just starting?  Here are some simple steps to get started.  

HOW DO I GET STARTED?  

1. Make up a form listing all the important things for each living family member: Name, Date of Birth, Place Born, Married to, Marriage Date, Mother, Father, Children's names, Military Service, etc. Take this to a copier and make a bunch of copies and put the name of each relative on their own page.  If you want to spend money, you can buy forms like this, but why?

2. Now talk to these people and pluck their brains until you have all you can get.  Write down everything they want to tell you because later it may fill a hole or piece some little items together.

Now write it down!  WHAT SOFTWARE SHOULD I USE?  

3. Get a genealogy software package, I use The Master Genealogiest but it's not for beginners. Family Tree Maker is a good place to start also Ultimate Family Tree is pretty easy to use.  There are many good programs available. Many of the sites on my page sell software and there are many more, just do a search with your browser for "genealogy software".  WHY DO I NEED A WEB PAGE? You may want to look for one that will automatically create web pages so you can share your data with others. You also want to be able to create GEDCOM files which is a worldwide format for sharing your data. On my search page, you'll find big sites that will add your data to their searchable databases so others can find you too.

4. Next look at the recently deceased people, your father and mother or grandparents, and start sending for death certificates. If you know where and when they were born, try and get their birth certificates. Don't overlook marriages and wills either. These documents, as you probably know, usually contain some vital information, also build your medical genealogy this way.  These are primary documents.

There is a book you can buy or use at the library which is loving referred to as "the red book" and has all the addresses, forms and prices you need to start mailing. "International Vital Records Handbook" by Thomans Jay Kemp.

5.  While you are waiting for those to start trickling in, you can do many things. One would be to start searching every site on my search page one person at a time and see if someone else doesn't have your ancestor.

6. Another is to either look in census index CDs  (you've puchased) or ask someone who has them, to look up the people you know. In order to find your relative in an index, you do need to know what state and county they lived in.  Without this, you could be looking a long long time.  I think the most current available is 1920, but it is not indexed as yet. The most recent indexed census, I believe, is 1880.

With this info, you go to the local library and have the help desk person show you where the microfiche is to get the roll number. This fiche is another sort of index. When you find the roll that fits, you have them order it for you, it should look like (M139 - 129). This takes anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks but it vital to have. They usually list Head of household, wife, children and each of their ages, occupations and places of birth.

7.  Keep updating your software and think about a web page where you can share your data. There is much more, but this should keep you busy for a long while!

8.  Use my "Truly Searchable Genealogy Sites" page and find many links to other good researchers site as well.  You have much more to learn.  I hate to admit it, but so do I!

DISCLAIMER:  I am not an expert, nor do I profess to be, I am simply hoping to provide some simple guidance on where to begin.