Using DNA Matches to Break Through Brick Walls
A practical workflow for turning a list of DNA matches into a documented ancestor: clustering, shared cM analysis and targeted testing.
DNA & Genetic Genealogy
Autosomal and Y-DNA testing, matches and how to use them alongside the paper trail.
Second Cousins, Once Removed: Relationship Terms Made Simple
What "first cousin once removed" actually means, how to work out any relationship in two steps, and why it matters for DNA matches.
Y-DNA and Surname Projects: Tracing the Direct Paternal Line
How Y-DNA testing works, what markers and haplogroups mean, and how surname projects can connect your line to others hundreds of years back.
Which DNA Test Should You Take? A Plain-English Guide
Autosomal, Y-DNA or mitochondrial? Ancestry, MyHeritage, 23andMe or FamilyTreeDNA? What each test can and can't tell you, and how to get the most for your money.
Shared cM Explained: What Your DNA Match Numbers Really Mean
Every DNA match comes with a number of centimorgans. What a cM is, what the amount of shared DNA says about a relationship, and why the predicted relationship can be wrong.
Shared Matches and Sorting Your DNA List into Family Lines
Thousands of DNA matches become manageable once you sort them by grandparent. How shared matches, the Leeds Method and clustering tools work, and why close relatives sometimes land on the "wrong" side.
Writing to DNA Matches: Messages That Get Replies
Most DNA match messages go unanswered. How to write a short, friendly message that gets a reply, what to share and not share, and what to do when no one answers.
Unexpected DNA Results: When a Parent Isn't Who You Thought
DNA tests regularly reveal unknown siblings, adoptions and different biological parents. How to confirm what the results mean, take care of yourself, and decide what to do next.
Finding Birth Family: Adoption Research with Records and DNA
How adoptees and their descendants can search for birth family using original birth certificates, court records, registries and, most powerfully, DNA.
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Getting Started 21Census Records 16Birth, Marriage & Death Records 15Church Records 12Cemeteries & Burials 2Newspapers & Obituaries 3Land & Property Records 7Wills, Probate & Court Records 13Tax Records 3Military Records 5Immigration & Naturalization 12DNA & Genetic Genealogy 9Libraries & Archives 8Research in the Old Country 10African American Research 2Research Methods & Evidence 31Brick Walls 11Organizing Your Research 7Online Sites & Family Trees 11