The puzzles will relate to a wide range of areas. The key to solving a puzzle may be the cracking of a code, the recognition of a quotation from a work of literature, a piece of general knowledge or a pun. The possibilities are endless! If it seems that you do not have all the information needed to solve the puzzle, make sure you've had a good look at the title and the story around the puzzle. Don't forget that you have wonderful resources at your fingertips. Here are a few we recommend:

Wikipedia - A near essential, albeit possibly a little untrustworthy. Articles on anything and everything.
Google - Not always reliable, but a staple
Yahoo - A popular alternative
Wordsmith - Possibly the best anagrammer on the net
Babelfish - Very unreliable but easy to access online translator

If the puzzle looks a little more arty, you may need some people with a bit of topical expertise on your team! If you don't have such valuable team members you may consider getting some, or trying to gain some expertise in the area yourself. If stuck on any problem, then Google is there to help - it may well prove an invaluable resource.

If you would like to see some good example of how to solve a puzzle, have a look at previous years' hunts - the puzzles as well as the solutions to them are available from the links on the left.