Start with What You Know, Analyze What You Know 

I also have an interest in early British history particularly the end of the Anglo-Saxon [actually very mixed with Scandinavian] period and the subsequent early Norman period. Genealogical charts in a used copy of a 1956 edition of Burkes' Peerage in my possession are especially helpful in figuring out some of that tangled mess ;-)

Thanks for your responses to my question about the 1851 Church Parish Records of Prascorsano, Italy that are filmed with the book spread eagle but the right page microfilm is cut in half vertically. The title of your presentation is perfectly in line with how I am solving this problem. Luckily the records were created on a printed form with blanks to fill in the information. I have already transcribed all of the parish records for the comune from 1823 to 1850 so there is already information to apply to what is in 1851. Also there is information within the in error microfilms which can be applied as well. For example in the birth records the name of the father may be cut off however his signature below may be visible. And the documents often specifically state he is "padre del neonato" or "padre della neonata" [father of the newborn] sometimes even stating that he cannot read or write and therefore signs with a "crocesegnato" "X". In addition I have only started transcribing the birth records. It is also possible [given the high mortality rate of infants] that the birth record of a child born that year may be on the right page [cut in half] but the death and burial record for the same child in that same year be fully visible on the left page revealing the information not visible on the birth record such as the name of the father, the name of the mother, more information about the godparents or other family, etc.

IS goldie may free