It's not just celebrities who can reach into the past and discover their roots. You can too. The Open University has created a short course specifically to help those who are interested in writing about their family history.

If you've ever wondered how to get started in writing your family history, this course will take you through the basics of historical research, which may lay the foundations for further study, if you should choose to do so.

You will also investigate the changing nature of "family" through history, allowing you to put the facts about your ancestors' lives into context. Placing a person in their times allows you to write about their lives with a real appreciation of the challenges they faced in day-to-day life.

Find out more about Start Writing Family History (A173) and take the first steps in finding out who you really are.

If you want to know what the course is like, you can try a sample online - work through the sort of information you can find in family photographs with us in our Start Writing Family History sample.

And explore our rich collection of advice, contacts, insights and resources for the amateur (and not-so-amateur) genealogist in our family history section here on Open2.

Have you researched your family history? Let us know what you found out in the forum.