Progress Tracker for DNA Study

This is a checklist I originally prepared for the Dec 2016 WCGS presentation - Enhance your Genealogy Research with DNA Testing. Time flies and so much in the genetic genealogy world has changed so quickly, but I think this stands the test of time as a good basic checklist for beginners. - CD

 

Enhance your Genealogy Research with DNA Testing

Progress Tracker for DNA Study

 

Getting Started:

 

_ Identify your need, question, or line of descent that needs proving.
 

_ Identify your subject or subjects.
 

_ Choose the appropriate tests and company.
 

_ Order, complete, return, wait.

 

While you wait:

 

_ Build your tree back at least 4 generation - 5 or 6 if possible. Also, build it "wide" at the level of your grandparents and great grandparents. Include all siblings, spouses, and descendants that you can. It really helps when you are looking at lines that may descend from one of those female ancestors whose name gets lost in time.
 

_ Watch the 5 part Bettinger webinar series, Foundations in DNA, at Legacy Family Tree (subscription service, a $9.95 investment - bonus you can watch unlimited webinars  - all you find interesting during your month subscription). https://familytreewebinars.com/blainebettinger 
 

_ Locate and work through your testing site tutorials. (see DNA Links Handout)
 

_ Create a Gedmatch.com account for additional tools to study your results.

 

When your results return:

 

_ Spend some time studying your top matches, their trees, and surname lists, to determine your common ancestors.
 

_ Upoad your raw data to Gedmatch for study and comparison. Gedmatch is free and offers some powerful tools for comparison. It is a much larger match pool too.
 

_ Keep good notes about matches and matches in common. You will be looking at so much data that you will need to capture it while it is fresh in your mind. One Note and Excel will help with this.
 

_ Have fun while you learn!

 

 

Prepared by Cyndi Deal, 2016

Return to the WCGS Website

 

DNA Links and Reading List

This is a handout that I originally prepared for the Dec 2016 WCGS presentation - Enhance your Genealogy Research with DNA Testing. Time flies and so much in the genetic genealogy world has changed so quickly, I have updated some links and added a few others but this list will get you started up the learning curve that is Genetic Genealogy. - CD

DNA Links and Reading List

Testing site tutorials

AncestryDNA Tutorials @ Ancestry Support

Family Tree DNA Learning Center

23&Me Tutorials

My Heritage

DNA Wikis

International Society of Genetic Genealogy - isogg.org/wiki

Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genealogical_DNA_test

Videos and Webinars 

What is Inheritance from Learn.Genetics

Foundations in DNA, 5 Part series by Blaine T. Bettinger  ($)  -  Legacy Family Tree Webinars

Autosomal DNA: how to use it in practice, Maurice Gleeson -  Youtube Video

Using DNA to solve adoption cases, Maurice Gleeson - Youtube Video

3rd Party Tools

Gedmatch.com - a third party free website (operated by generous volunteers) for analysis and comparison of raw autosomal DNA data from other fee-based genetic genealogy testing companies. Gedmatch offers many tools for visualizing how you and your matches connect including a Chromosome browser, in common with and one to many matching. Tier one tools (small fee) include triangulation tools, lazarus tools to replicate dna of a parent or grandparent, evil twin tool which can provide you with the 50% of the DNA you did not receive from each parent.

Genome Mate Pro - an app to help manage the data collected from autosomal DNA research. It allows you to house and compare data from the different companies and keep detailed notes. It is a more advanced tool you should have on your radar if you get serious about genetic genealogy study.

Chrome extensions for working with DNA
AncestryDNA Helper (for Ancestry DNA)

Medbetterdna - various uses, but my favorite is the ability to make your AncestryDNA match note appear on the match list page. Saves you a lot of clicking through to see what you wrote.

Pedigree Thief  (for Ancestry DNA) - Tree clipper that allows you to convert a matches pedigree tree to a gedcom or insert in another program like Genome Mate Pro for study.

DNA Arboretum (for FTDNA) - Tree clipper that allows you to convert a matches pedigree tree to a gedcom or insert in another program like Genome Mate Pro for study.

Blogs

Segmentology.org - by Jim Bartlett

blog.kittycooper.com by Kitty Cooper

dna-explained.com by Roberta Estes 

thegeneticgenealogist.com by Blaine Bettinger

yourgeneticgenealogist.com by CeCe Moore 

thednageek.com by Lisa Larkin, Ph.D.

Books

The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy, by Blaine T. Bettinger, PhD, JD

Genetic Genealogy in Practice, by Blaine T. Bettinger, PhD, JD, and Debbie Parker Wayne, CG, CGL

Facebook Groups - Use the FB search to find and join.

DNA Newbie

Gedmatch User Group

AncestryDNA Matching

FTDNA User Group

Genetic Genealogy Tips & Tricks - run by Blaine Bettinger

DNA Detectives - run by Cece Moore

Testing site comparison guide

             ConsumerAffairs DNA Testing and Ancestry Guide

Prepared by Cyndi Deal, 2016

Return to the WCGS Website

Wake Treasures Journal - Volume 28, Number 2

Wake Treasures - Volume 28, Number 2 – Spring 2018 is now available for viewing and download at the website. This issue incorporates material covering more than 150 years of Wake history and family narrative.

Topics include:

Golf Membership List - Meadowbrook Country Club, Garner, NC. 1963

1802 Tax List - continuation

Eugene Narron Allen of New Light

Wake County General Assembly Session Records 1798 & 1806

Thoughts about Yates Mill

1893 Register of Births, city of Raleigh

Ad - Bostrom-Brady Manufacturing

Raleigh Grocery Ledger (1884-1886)

Playing among the Tombs (Historic Oberlin Cemetery)

Members may access this and all issues of the Journal online here.

If you have personal stories of people, places, and events connected to Wake County, please consider sharing them for inclusion into future editions! Contact the journal editor.

Need this content? Become a member here.  

Access to the Journal online is one of the best benefits for remote Wake County researchers. There are over 20 years of issues online with Wake specific primary source content. Search in your sweats and fluffy slippers!

Return to the WCGS Website

Learning Opportunity - Full and Half Day Small Group Sessions

Here is another great learning opportunity to check out before the New Year.

Edgecombe Community College, in Tarboro, offers a Weekend ContinuingEducation Series in Historic Preservation Trades. This program is run by Monika Fleming, Program Chair for the Historic Preservation curriculum at ECC. Monika presented the WCGS June program - Jewish Immigration in Eastern NC.

Classes meet Saturdays for full and half day instruction. The small group setting includes discussion and one-on-one interaction.

Early 2019 Topics:
Intro to Genealogy
Research Historic Property
Education & Ancestors
Local & State Records
Genealogy Websites
Military Records

Visit the schedule page for details and registration.

I have not taken one of these classes myself, but I know several people who have and they all come back raving about the experience due to the small class size.  They all say it is well worth the short trip to Tarboro on a Saturday morning!

Learning Opportunity - Senior TechEd Winter 2019 Schedule

Education is the gift that keep on giving. Take advantage of the winter listings from Senior TechEd for yourself or someone on your gift list.

View the Senior TechEd Schedule here.

Highlights this season include a series of lessons on working with Ancestry.com. The series is offered twice, in January and again in February.

Also MS Excel 1&2 - We use spreadsheets for everything from name disambiguation and timelines to DNA sorting and match correspondence. This time will be well spent.

Other topics of interest:

Windows Backup

File Explorer

Cloud Computing

Google Photos

Android Smartphone Apps

IOS, Ipad, and Iphone

Much more... Take a look.


Return to the WCGS Website