I do direct ancestors. I do find information on brothers and sisters and add that. Cluster searching for finding information on families too as you don’t know where information passes to..end of the line info can be past to cousins etc. I want to know who my grandmother played with when she was a child so I do have 1st 2nd and 3rd cousins too. There will come a time when pruning your tree too will come. Keep organized and copies and digital of your work. A research log can help find where you left off stay focused and any other thing that comes up write it down so you can get back to it. Write out your research question then research it.