A good part of dogfighting is practice and fast reflexes. Without those two things, you cannot expect to survive a "furball". There are, however, a few techniques that can ensure that you live long enough to be able to practice.
The best attitude for firing missiles is from the side of the enemy. If you approach head-on, he may be able to take out the missiles with his lasers. If you are directly behind him, on his six, he may be able to dodge them, unless you are very close in.
To survive a missile hit, get your shields as close to full strength as possible. Draw energy from your lasers [shift-F10] as needed.
Lock upon the missile immediately upon its launch by hitting [space], then turn towards it, get a laser lock, and fire to end your missile problems.
If you are attempting to dodge a missile or trying to get a missile in your sights, the best method is to keep turning into it, since they cannot turn as tight as you can.
As previously stated, if you are quick enough, or have an enemy in your tractor beam, you can shoot a missile at him as though it was a laser, but this tactic works best in the missile boat.
Lasers are the primary weapon used in dogfighting. Dogfighting is best accomplished at a range of .35 to .70 clicks. The closer you are to the target, the more likely it is that you will score more hits.
When dogfighting, you will need speed and position on your side. Surprise is a key element to success. The best defense is a strong offense. Your attack is the key. If you are attacking, YOU are in control. Make sure that your shields are up to full (200%) strength and that your lasers and missiles are linked properly.
Try to maneuver to a position behind your enemy. His weapons work the same way yours do, they shoot out the front! If you can get a rear position, then there is no way he can hurt you. Match speeds with him as often as needed, and assign your wingmen to attack other targets in the enemy flight group.
If an enemy makes a straight run at you, then dodge, jink, and get out of the way. If you can't jink right away, then fire repeatedly and jink as soon as you are able to. Make sure to equalize your shield strength, [S], and get them recharged as soon as possible.
The enemy will try to out-turn you and get on your six (right behind you). Keep turning with him and matching speeds with him. You must stay on his tail if you hope to beat him. Take your shots as your guns point at him.
If you have difficulties taking out an enemy fighter, assign your wingmen to do it. The combined effort should give you the edge you need, and he may jink away from them, right into your sights, allowing you to get the kill. Be careful with this tactic, however, if your wingman breaks off an attack on another ship, he may get killed en route. Remember your Situational Awareness.
Enemy ships flying in formation are just asking to be destroyed. You can often score several hits before a target will break off into maneuvers, sometimes you can destroy it before gets the chance to dodge. Be aware, however, that ships in formation are heading towards a target (like B-Wings heading for an ISD); a couple of shots should disrupt their run.
Your Number One Priority when dogfighting is to destroy the ships that are the biggest threat to you or your mission goals. Your priority should be on the mission goals first, but you cannot complete them if you are dead. A-Wings and TIE Defenders or Advanced's are the biggest threat to you, personally. Then comes X-Wings, T-Wings. R-41s. Z-95s, Y-Wings, and B-Wings are the least dangerous, though they can be the MOST dangerous to the mission.
Whenever possible, avoid dogfighting enemy ships within 1.5 clicks from one of their capital ships, or you'll end up having to dodge the turbolasers, too. Conversely, you should attempt to bring the fight within the range of one of your big ships, so you can benefit from the assistance.
If you are flying a ship that is equipped with ion cannons, it is often a good idea to disable a single ship within a Flight Group without destroying it. This will hold off additional waves of this Flight Group until you are ready to take them on. If you forget to order your wingman to ignore the target [shift-I], they may destroy the ship, allowing the next in the wave to jump in or launch. In some cases, it might even be necessary to tell other Imperial craft not in your Flight Group to wait [shift-W], or Go Home [shift-H], to keep them away from the disabled craft. If you do this, remember to tell the waiting craft to Go [shift-G] when you are ready for them to continue.