In some locations, newspapers have been indexed making it easier to locate specific articles and people. The Internet is a rapidly growing source for finding genealogical information. It is extremely important to keep in mind that you should never accept what you find online to be absolute fact. Due to mis-spellings, missing or misinterpreted data, etc., one should always verify everything found with several primary sources, such as digitized images of the original documents or by sending for actual copies of the documents. Keep in mind that some sites have very little online information while others will have more.
Some sites promise a lot yet charge a fee for any quality information.
Because it is especially easy online to wander from link to link and end up lost in unrelated websites, stick to a plan. If you are interested in more in-depth beginner s guides, many of the popular genealogy sites include free, online tutorials.