If you plan on researching your ancestry, there are a lot of things that can be done on your own so you do not need to bring in a genealogical research service that you have to pay for. This can be done by gathering birth dates, names, dates of death, if applicable, of siblings, grandparents, parents, uncles, and aunts going as far back as you are aware of. After you have gathered all of those pieces of information, turn your attention to one of the many free genealogical search sites that can be found on the internet.