DNA

The Basic Process in Brief

One - Be prepared and be warned - DNA testing used to be preceeded by counselling before a test was given. There are potentially amazing and awful consequences to tests? Make sure you understand this before embarking on the voyage of discovery. You do not have to opt in for medical results. The data is yours to control if it is used or not and can be anonymous in many cases?

Two - Check out what each company is really offering, not all tests are equal - preferably one that gives Haplogroup results and X-chromosome results? You can take your data to other sites once tested.

Three - Take your general DNA test, called an Autosomal DNA test (at-dna) and send it away.

Four - Don't switch off - Start learning about DNA- it is easy to get the basics and this really helps to understand how to proceed and how to understand your results.. Familiarise yourself with the "Leeds Method" - see below.

See DNA/Genetics pages here for starter information

Five - Start (however small) or improve your family tree, check it for accuracy as well as you can. This will also improve your familiarity and help with recognition of what research you want to do?

Six - Prepare a standard letter for contacting matches. Diahan Southard of "DNA Guide" suggests, rightly, that this should be like a courtship letter? You are trying to persuade someone to work with you on a project.

Also, they may not see the point or have the time? They are not there to solve your problem. Explain your interests, research and experience. Be open and honest, it helps them to know how to respond to you? - then explain how this person can help you..?

Seven - When you receive the notification that your results have arrived....

check the ethnicity estimate - is it what you expect? Are you pleased or shocked?

check your DNA kit's website for matches?

do you have close relatives on there? If not then prioritise the largest matches (biggest segment) or 'percentage DNA in common'  (best would be both scenarios). Close matches will help identify parts of your DNA to parents and grandparents and help with smaller and then, future matches - see Strategies.

Eight - Use the results to contact anyone of interest on your site, try to reciprocate help and be honest about what you know and what you do not know. We all have different skills but it will help communication. You will not know whether you are contacting an expert or a complete beginner.  In a rare event, someone may find your enquiry intrusive. People can get possessive about "their" relatives but take no abuse from anyone and report it if you find it!? Always offer an opportunity to resolve any conflict before reporting if possible. Initial reactions may have cooled by then?

Nine - Use any tools that the website provides (See below)

Ten - Widen the circle - your kit provider has less than 20% of the world's DNA matches.

Eleven - Download the Raw Data File (this information is your possession not the website owners and put your DNA on other free sites, especially GedMatch where you will find other tools to analyse data and match with a wider world.

Twelve - Repeat the process of matching and testing on the other sites

What to do next, will be determined by results of the above. The process above is only a useful 'what to do' when everything is as expected and good matches are found

Leeds Method

Take your best matches and order them with the highest value at the top and the lowest value at the bottom.

Take the first name from your match list and mark that name with a colour or a letter “A”.

Then on the website look for “joint matches” or “relatives in common” between you and that first person.

Any name that you find in the joint matches that is on your ordered match list - mark that second person too with the same colour or the same letter. (On a spreadsheet this is easy but doing it on paper is also possible. Some websites also allow you to label people too.

Next, work down from the top of your list and take the next name, that does not have a mark or letter “A” next to it. Repeat the process above, using a new colour or the letter B... Then kep repeating down the list. It is difficult to say how many matches you need but the groups you are creating get smaller and you may well start to get bored :)

I personally do not use matches below 6-7cM or say 0.3%

Note: some people will be marked twice in your matches, this is OK and will be explained later. Once you get the hang of it, it will be simple to do and quicker but just use your biggest matches for now.

Although it seems a little tedious, there are a number of advantages when it is done.

*Each letter or colour relates to a branch / section of your tree whether you have the records or not. The groups produced are likely to have common features for the most part. You need to look at each group for trees, locations and names in common.

*If someone is in two groups they may be related to two parts of your tree. The first point of this is that you have now made your matches into groups and not just random people.

*The second point is that you have made a reference list for researching each group. Even if you have no tree, these people in a group are all descended from similar areas of your tree.

*The third point is whenever you get another match of any sort, check their joint matches for people on your list and which letter or colour you have assigned. You can then quickly assign the new match a colour or letter and to part of your tree. *The fourth point is that even with the smallest matches – the hardest to find links in traditional family history research – This last part focuses your efforts in the right places.

*This reference document will save you a lot of time and headache / confusion later for some spade work at the process now? Even the experts use this everyday method. You can also make other lists using the results from other companies that have your DNA kit?

An example of the sheet you are making is below

This site aims to be complimentary to other sites with similar aims.

Copyright © 2021- Seamus Crowe All Rights Reserved