How To Become a Genetic Genealogist (2021)
- michelleruel
- Nov 14, 2021
- 9 min read
What is it about genetic genealogy that interests you?
Perhaps you read a newspaper article that focused on solving a crime or a family mystery using genetic genealogy? Maybe you watched a show about genetic genealogy on TV that caught your attention? Possibly, you are on your own journey to find missing pieces of your family tree? Or maybe you are a genealogist interested in the new pathways that consumer-based DNA testing can offer?
However you ended up interested in genetic genealogy, I hope that these tips will help to lead you in the right direction.
When I started looking into becoming a genetic genealogist, I was underwhelmed by the amount of information online. Where do I start? What credentials do I need? What would I have to do, exactly? I couldn't find a complete breakdown anywhere that included steps I should take to make this a career.
So, I decided to write one.
This is by no means an exhaustive "guide" to becoming a genetic genealogist, but I have included the steps that I suggest to anyone that asks me for my thoughts on the process, or how I ended up doing genetic genealogy.
Let's break it down into 8 manageable steps:
Step 1: Start with yourself!
The best way to set the groundwork for becoming a genetic genealogist is to start with your own DNA!
If you have already sent in your sample and received your results, you know that analyzing those results can sometimes be a challenge. Think about how you felt looking through them. Perhaps you were already experienced in genealogy, perhaps you were hoping to find out about your Irish ancestors or to learn about your biological family, or perhaps you tested for health reasons?
Through analyzing our own results, we start to gain the experience necessary to overcome unexpected challenges. You may have had results that were totally in line with the research you had already done or, you may have found surprises. Either way, sorting your matches into Maternal and Paternal clusters and then into grandparent clusters can be time consuming, as is learning to use all the available resources to further analyze and compare (Chromosome browser, DNA painter, Leeds method, and many more).
Don't limit yourself to learning the ins and outs of just one platform or type of test; if you have done an autosomal DNA test, consider also taking a YDNA (if you were born a male) or a MtDNA test to further understand the types of results potential searchers may have and how you can best help them in their search. If you are familiar with the Ancestry platform but not as familiar with how to work with your results on GedMatch, consider watching some tutorials and learn how to use the tools available.
Utilizing all these resources with your own DNA will help you to become familiar with those platforms. If your own results had some surprises, this is your chance to try to solve those mysteries! Some may be easier than others but using every tool available to you will offer the best chances at solving the mystery.
2. Don't forget about "traditional" genealogy!
What I mean by "traditional" genealogy is the kind of genealogy most people envision when they think about genealogy - old census records, microfilms, newspapers dug out of libraries...that sort of thing.
This is how most genetic genealogists have gotten started (maybe that will change in the future!). I started researching my own family tree in 2001 when I became pregnant with our first child. My own father had passed away when I was 12 years old and, as I would be adding to the family tree, I felt a closer connection with my ancestors and a desire to learn more about them.
I began with a marriage record for my paternal great grandparents on a microfilm reader, with my Mother in Law (a seasoned genealogist) teaching me how to use that microfilm reader. From there, the rest is history and a lifelong hobby and passion had begun.
When looking at DNA results, the answer to "how are we related" isn't always clear. In this case, family trees generally need to be built up and then back down again.
Understanding "traditional" genealogy is of the utmost importance for this. Many records are available online now - that wasn't always the case! However, there are countless more that have not yet been digitized or can only be found in local historical societies, archives and libraries.
Just as learning to use all the tools available for genetic genealogy is so important, a genetic genealogist must be able to able to utilize all of the tools at their disposal for historical research as well.
"Traditional" and Genetic genealogy are not competitors - they're family!
3. Helping your mystery matches find answers
In my opinion, most people who decide to upload their DNA onto any of the major platforms will inevitably get a message, at some point, from someone searching for biological family. This is the perfect time to put those skills to use!
There are countless adoptees, foundlings and people with misattributed parentage that are searching for answers about their biological origins. By testing, you have potentially given someone a piece to a puzzle they have been looking for, just as every person that tests offers that hope to someone else.
If you receive a message from someone asking for help, don't ignore them! Even if you are just getting started in genetic genealogy, you may be able to help them solve a mystery. Using the skills you have built up, do your best to assist them in connecting where you both fit into your family tree.
4. Be a "Search Angel"
What is a "Search Angel"? A search angel is, essentially, someone that volunteers their time to assist someone that is searching for their biological family. Maybe the person that is searching has taken a DNA test, maybe they have not yet done that and are just beginning their search and don't know how to start. This is where a search angel comes in.
If the searcher has not yet done a DNA test, the most likely way they will find answers is to do one. Ancestry.com has the largest database and is usually recommended as a staring point.
If DNA results have been received, a search angel will generally start by looking at the top matches and trying to sort them into Maternal and Paternal sides of the family. The search angel will then usually start building out family trees (See Step 2) to connect the dots.
You can be a search angel for people that contact you through the testing company, people in your life that may be searching for biological family, or you can even join an online group to be connected with other SA's and searchers requesting help.
5. Know The Potential Limitations of Genetic Genealogy:
In an ideal situation, you will look at your top matches and they will match you at high cM (Centimorgan) amounts and those matches have big, public trees that allow you to easily connect the dots to determine your relationship. This is basically a "best case" scenario.
A more common scenario is the top matches are small to mid-range, little to no information about the family tree and little to no response from any attempted communication.
The specific details for each case you are working on (yours or someone else's) will be as varied as the matches you work with.
You could also be dealing with endogamy, cases of incest, double cousins (2 sisters marrying 2 brothers), identical twins, ethnicities that have low rates of testing (leading to low matches with hard to determine connections), and more! All these things need to be taken into account when assisting someone through genetic genealogy.
This doesn't mean all hope is lost - it can, however, make your job much more difficult. Understanding these variables is extremely important and overlooking them could derail your search!
This is not an exhaustive list of potential limitations, so please take the time to dive deeper into this topic.
6. Different countries = Different Laws
In many countries, consumer-based DNA testing is legal and widely available. However, there are countries (for example, France) that do not allow these tests and that can pose challenges for people searching for relatives from these countries. This is something to take into consideration if matches are low and there are few of them.
Similarly, once you have the suspected identities of living people, depending on what country you are researching in, the challenges of searching for information about those people can be limited. For example, in Canada, there are very strict privacy laws. There are no websites that list all of someone's past addresses or recent vital records. Countries with strict privacy laws can pose additional challenges when assisting people who are looking for living relatives. Consider using obituaries, the person's online presence, local libraries, year books etc.
7. Attend Conferences and Learn Through Online Courses
One of the best resources for learning about genetic genealogy... is from other genetic genealogists!
The technology, resources, laws and challenges change very quickly in this field, and it is extremely important to be up-to-date on a broad array of topics related to genetic genealogy.
As of now, there is no official certification for genetic genealogy, although this could change - the National Institute for Genealogical Studies is working on a certification program (available date TBD). The University of New Haven does have a program for Forensic Genetic Genealogy Certificate Program, however.
For now, most genetic genealogists have a wide range of background experience and if a career in genetic genealogy is something you are serious about, you need to be like a sponge, soaking up as much of the information available to you as you possibly can. This isn't to say you need to be an expert in every branch of genetic genealogy but as mentioned, the field is growing and changing so rapidly that there are constantly new breakthroughs (and limitations!) to be aware of.
A must-read for any genetic genealogist is "THE FAMILY TREE GUIDE TO DNA TESTING AND GENETIC GENEALOGY" by Blaine T. Bettinger. In my opinion, it is the definitive guide to genetic genealogy and an excellent place to either start your journey or to improve your skills!
Personally, I am very excited about the upcoming Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh's 2022 Advance DNA Evidence courses in July of 2022 coordinated by Blaine T. Bettinger! It will be virtual so it will be a great opportunity for those that would find the travel to Pittsburgh challenging.
There are some very useful lessons (for free!) on YouTube as well and it is a great place to start learning about how to effectively use the tools available in your search.
8. Practice, Practice, Practice!!
You can read blogs and books, you can watch YouTube videos and attend conferences, but the real "tests" are the cases you volunteer your time for. There are thousands of people searching for answers and the tools you already posses can help them.
The more time you volunteer and the more cases you solve, the better. Think dozens of cases, at least.
In these dozens of cases, you will start to get familiarized with a wide range of situations and this is key in genetic genealogy. A match of 1982cM could be a half-sibling! But....it could also be a Grandparent, Aunt/Uncle, Niece/Nephew or Grandchild. Even more typical and difficult: a match of 263cM that could be any of the following: Half Great Great-Aunt/Uncle, 2nd Cousin, Half 1st Cousin Once Removed, 1st Cousin 2 times Removed, Half Great Great-Niece/Nephew or many more scenarios!
Finding out how people are connected through DNA takes a LOT of practice and experience in a vast array of scenarios. As suggested above, assist matches on your list, solve your own mysteries, join groups where you could be of assistance to others, and you will slowly gain more and more context for the "mystery cases" you will encounter along the way.
BONUS STEP: Believe in Yourself!
Because genetic genealogy is such a new and emerging field, it can be overwhelming and daunting to think about getting started. As I said, the information available on how to do genetic genealogy is just starting to expand. However, guidance on becoming a genetic genealogist as a career is still sparse.
The reason for this is that there simply isn't a lot of guidance to give... yet! That is why I decided to write this blog and why this section is about believing in yourself. There are no official tests you can pass or fail (yet!), no course descriptions and grades, no syllabus to follow and no official governing body for genetic genealogy.
This may leave you feeling discouraged, as it did for me.
All of us that are currently doing genetic genealogy (you included!) are helping to write these guidelines! Through your personal experience, research, and background, if you feel you are ready and have the skills necessary, then jump in!!
As I stated in Step 8, please keep in mind that you do need A LOT of research experience. You can gain that experience in the ways listed above. Most importantly, volunteer your time helping people that are searching for connections. That is where you will gain the most experience (and confidence!) because you will encounter so many different situations. Being prepared for a wide range of mysteries to solve and how to use the tools to solve them is probably the single most important thing you can do to prepare yourself to take your genetic genealogy to a professional level.
Put yourself out there and volunteer your time helping others, gain that experience and reputation. Put your skills to use and be confident in them! Talk to anyone who will listen to you about genetic genealogy (...ok, maybe that's just me that does that?!) and you will gain confidence in speaking about something that you are so passionate about.
It takes a lot of skill, creativity, and perseverance to be a genetic genealogist and if the only thing that's stopping you is the lack of guidance, I'm here to tell you to believe in yourself! Help build the roads that lead to even greater understanding of genetic genealogy!
Thank you for this guide. I'll learn and be helpful to others.