Top Research Tips

When preparing to visit an archive or library, always contact them first to ensure they have what you're looking for, their opening hours and any fees etc.
Take a copy of your family tree or at least a list of names you are researching, so you don't forget which names to check. This also makes it easy to update your records when you get home.
If you can't find someone in the civil registration indexes, they may have registered overseas. The FRC (Family Records Centre) and the GROS (General Register Office for Scotland) have separate indexes.
Some people didn't bother with or were wary of civil registration at first. However 1875 saw the introduction of strict penalties for non-registration. So you may still have to check the parish registers between 1837 and 1875!