When I began researching my Slovak ancestors some 18 years ago, librarians, clerks, and even a few fellow genealogists would give me a puzzled look, and then ask: "How do you spell that?" and "Where is that?"

At one time, finding information about an ancestor who hailed from a tiny town or village located in Central or Eastern Europe proved to be a challenging, and sometimes impossible, task. In addition, border changes, language differences, political considerations, exotic-sounding surnames, and misconceptions or myths about the research process can try the patience of even the most dedicated genealogist. But,
thankfully, for the 21^st century researcher of East European ancestors, many doors that were once closed are now open, enabling greater access to available resources.

So, if you're searching for your great-uncle, Miklos Mastiyliak, here are five tips to make your quest a bit easier.

1. Avoid the Urge to "Pond Jump." While it's tempting to begin looking for your ancestors over in Europe, you'll really want to begin your research on this side of the Atlantic. First, you must identify the town or village of origin. This information can often be located in home and family sources. If not, then consult vital, census, immigration, naturalization, church and other records in North America. WorldVitalRecords.com has a growing collection of free and subscription-based databases you can search.

2. Be Prepared to Research Offline. While it's true that the Internet has greatly changed the field of genealogy, those seeking East European ancestors generally still need to refer to microfilmed records, photocopied documents from archives, or other traditional means to obtain key details. A good strategy is to utilize the Internet to gather initial information, streamline the steps of the research process, and network with others. Start by browsing the International Collection at WorldVitalRecords.com. In addition, you can also search the Family History Library Catalog by place and/or keyword for available microfilmed records.

3. Be Open and Flexible to Alternate Spellings for Names and Places. Don't base your research solely on the way your name is spelled or because a family member insists that a surname has "always been spelled that way." Surname spellings often vary in grammatical context. Many immigrants "Americanized" their names upon arrival. Some adopted the English equivalent, while others made the spelling appear more American, or chose a similar-sounding name. Despite common lore, Ellis Island immigration officials did not purposely change people's names. Also, the two World Wars changed the face of Eastern Europe. Invasions and other internal conflicts in countries also contributed to changing political and geographical borders. Towns and villages were destroyed, redistricted, and renamed. Therefore, current place names may not have existed during your ancestor's time. Check maps and atlases, and gazetteers.

4. Don't Buy into Myths or Misconceptions. "I know my ancestor came through Ellis Island..." is a common assumption made by those new to genealogical research.

This is understandable, since more than 20 million immigrants passed through the Port of New York (or Ellis Island) during the years of 1892-1924. But, Ellis Island was not the only port. If you can't find your ancestor in the Ellis Island Database, and you've tried the search tools for Ellis Island designed by Steve Morse, you should also consider arrival records from Baltimore, Philadelphia, etc. (Morse has tools for searching other ports as well).

Another misconception is the idea that "one size fits all" when it comes to the research process. The truth is that in Eastern Europe all countries are created equal. Certainly, many of the initial steps you'll take are universal; however, the specifics on how and where to find the information may vary from country to country. Finding information in Romania may prove more difficult than doing so in Poland. Documents or records in Slovakia may be more readily accessible than those found in the Czech Republic. Always take into account the geography, government, religion and other factors in a particular country when your ancestor resided there. Also, remember that policies and restrictions regarding records access at archives will vary depending on the country and region, and for some areas, you may need to enlist the services of a professional who is familiar the workings of the archive and the language(s) of the records.

5. Tap into a Network of Fellow Researchers - Often, the missing piece of your family history puzzle is supplied by a cousin you didn't know you had, or another genealogist with ties to the same ancestral town or village. The Internet has truly opened up the world to genealogists. E-mail, online forums, message boards, Blogs, and Wikis provide for instant communication and data sharing, and social networking sites such as FamilyLink enable you to build your family tree online and stay connected with far-flung family members and other researchers. It takes just a few minutes to register for a free account on FamilyLink and start making those connections.

Genealogical conferences and online classes also provide great networking opportunities. By subscribing to the free WorldVitalRecords.com newsletter, you can learn about genealogical conferences and events such as the upcoming Federation of East European Family History Societies conference, August 1-3 in Pittsburgh, PA or the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference in Philadelphia, September 3-6. In addition, WorldVitalRecords.com has partnered with GenClass, an online genealogical learning company providing a host of excellent beginning and advanced genealogy research classes at a bargain price ($34.50), including the one I offer on Basic East European Genealogy.

So, if you're an East European genealogist today, there's every reason to be optimistic. The Internet, access to many previously unavailable records, and other improvements have all helped to streamline the research process. And here's hoping it will just keep getting better!