Have you thought about the steps to take to work through a DNA research project? Have you ever been stuck or lost during a project and wondered what you should do next? What do you do? I've thought about it a lot, and it motivated me to create DNA Process Trees that have a stepwise model/instructions/flowchart of the main steps to take when working through a DNA research objective. The steps help me maximize the research time I have available. I have also added some logistical steps that prompt me to save genealogical documents, create citations, and write the...
Imagine starting on a brand-new research project with DNA matches and an unfamiliar family tree. You want to get the most out of your precious research time and efficiently organize the DNA matches so you can focus on the family line(s) of interest. - What do you do first? - What’s the most effective method? Great questions! Try the methods outlined below to get started efficiently and effectively. Make a Leeds Method chart Spend 10-20 minutes creating a Leeds Method DNA Color Cluster chart. This will help you become familiar with the groups and identify the family lines to focus...
Imagine reading a genealogical article and discovering that your name has been published along with your DNA information and conclusions about your ancestors. How would you feel? How would you react? Some people may not mind if their private information is published, while others – probably a majority - don’t appreciate their name, their parents’ names, grandparents’ names, etc. published for anyone to see. It is about privacy and ethics. Privacy and Ethics We value privacy in our DNA tests results. We want DNA testing companies to safeguard our information and protect it from exposure that is granted without our...
Airtable is a hybrid spreadsheet and database. Most database tools are beyond the technological level of typical users, so most people don't use database tools. Yet, databases are highly useful. Luckily for us, Airtable is a database tool that doesn't require that you know how to code. If you are familiar with spreadsheets, you'll pick it up right away. Each database is called "base." Think of it as a spreadsheet with multiple sheets/tabs. Each sheet within the base is a "table." Rows in a table are called "records." Columns in a table are called "fields." Each field is customizable. You...
Many Americans have been told by relatives that they have Native American ancestry and want to find out if the story is accurate. DNA testing has the capability to help people determine if they inherited any DNA from Native American ancestors. At RootsTech 2020, I attended a class taught by DNA expert Roberta Estes entitled "Native American DNA: Confirming Those Stories." I am sharing some of the helpful information from Roberta's class and including links to her website, DNAeXplained, for more information. Her lecture was my favorite class from Rootstech 2020 because she has so much experience about this topic...
Today's episode of Research Like a Pro is an interview with Libby Copeland, author of the new book The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are. We discuss some of the main themes in the book, from ethnicity estimates, the history of genetic genealogy, the use of DNA to solve cold cases, and surprises that come from testing. Libby also shares her own experience with genealogy and DNA testing. Links Link to purchase the book on Amazon: The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are (This is an affiliate link. If you make a...
Before 2000, DNA was not a source genealogists had access to. Now there are over 29 million people in DNA testing databases. This is an enormous change. Like other sources available to genealogists before the advent of advanced technology, we still need to analyze these sources carefully, understand the context, and create research plans. Genealogy standards guide us in our efforts. Thomas W. Jones, PhD, CG, CGL, FASG, FUGA, FNGS gave the lecture, "The Advance of Research Habits over Recent Decades—And the Downside" at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) in January. The lecture was part of the "Meeting...
Have you taken a DNA test for the fun of discovering your ethnicity estimate only to be blindsided with an unexpected relationship? If so you are not alone. With more people taking consumer DNA tests, family secrets from long ago and not so long ago are being revealed. How does one deal with a new half sibling or biological parent? These questions and more are addressed in Libby Copeland's new book, The Lost Family: How DNA Testing Is Upending Who We Are. We're reading this intriguing book for our spring book club selection. If you'd like to weigh in on the...
Have you used DNA test results to help with your genealogy research? Maybe you've heard that you can verify ancestors with DNA. Or perhaps you have formed a hypothesis about a brick wall ancestor's parents and would like to confirm it. You may want to identify the biological parents of a recent relative who was adopted. What is the best way to go about using DNA test results to meet these objectives? What tool could help you make discoveries? It may seem overwhelming to know your next step. Robin Wirthlin, our genetic genealogist, has created two decision-tree style flowcharts called...
How can genealogists know if they are using DNA evidence correctly to prove conclusions? What is required to meet the Genealogical Proof Standard when incorporating DNA evidence? Since the 2nd Edition of Genealogy Standards was published last year, I have been studying the new standards relating to DNA evidence, Standards 51-57. Then at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) last month, I had the opportunity to learn from Karen Stanbary and her team of experienced instructors on this subject. The course was titled "Meeting Standards Using DNA Evidence — Research Strategies," with the following description: This all-new course is...
