Making Sense of your DNA Results

Service Description

Have you taken a DNA test but are not quite sure what the results actually mean? Perhaps you want to understand your ethnicity estimate, work out how an important DNA match may be related to you, identify which side of your family particular matches belong to, or simply find out whether your results contain clues worth investigating further. This personalised service is built around your own DNA results, your family background and what you hope to discover. Rather than giving you a generic lesson, we work directly with your test results and focus on the questions that matter to you. The Basic Analysis is ideal if you want a clear introduction to your results. We explain essential concepts such as centimorgans (cM), shared DNA and relationship estimates, review your ethnicity results and their limitations, and examine your strongest DNA matches. We also carry out an initial GEDmatch comparison to see whether anything particularly interesting emerges and run two alternative admixture models for additional perspective on your ancestry. The Advanced Analysis includes the fundamentals above where needed, but goes considerably further. We examine medium-sized as well as larger matches, look for groups of matches that may point towards particular family lines, undertake a more detailed GEDmatch analysis, and introduce techniques such as shared-match analysis, segment comparison and the basics of triangulation. The direction of the session depends on your research goals. You may be trying to verify a family line, investigate an unknown branch, understand an unexpected result, distinguish between possible relationships, or simply learn how to use your DNA more effectively. No scientific background is required. Everything is explained in clear, straightforward language. Both the Basic and Advanced versions are available either in person at your home or by Zoom/video call.