Birth, death, marriage, and residency information is essential. Information on religious denominations can also be useful, as some churches have records available for research. Question as many adult members of the family as is feasible, to obtain as much information about each as possible. Don't forget to ask relatives for any genealogy records they might have and for permission to use information in family Bibles, diaries, etc., which may be in their possession. Compile information in an orderly fashion, as this will be especially helpful during later research.
Forms specifically designed for recording genealogical data are available.
Follow-up At this point, you will probably have incomplete records on some relatives and will want to continue searching for information on earlier generations. Research is a tedious task, so one must be prepared to devote many hours to the project. Of course, the rewards are very satisfying when a discovery is made. It is important to remember that most information will be found in the county where your relatives lived. Contact the public library in that area to determine what records are available.