DNA can reveal biological connections that documents alone cannot show, but a match list is not a conclusion. Reliable genetic genealogy combines match analysis, family-tree reconstruction, shared-centimorgan evidence and documentary research.
DNA research may help with
- Unknown parent or grandparent questions
- Adoption and donor-conception research
- Confirming or challenging a documented lineage
- Identifying the common ancestor behind a match cluster
- Separating maternal and paternal match groups
- Breaking through a documentary brick wall
Platforms and access
I work with results from AncestryDNA and GEDmatch and can assess other platforms case by case. The most useful form of access depends on the question and may include collaborator access, match lists, shared-match information, screenshots, tree links or permitted exports. Please do not send passwords through the enquiry form.
Before work begins, I explain what access is needed and why. A useful starting summary includes the tester’s known family tree, the identity of any known close matches, the amount of shared DNA and the relationship or ancestral line you are trying to understand.
The research process
The work may involve grouping matches, comparing shared matches, building descendant trees, testing ages and locations, and seeking records that support or disprove a proposed relationship. The strength of a conclusion depends on the available matches, their trees, the relevant generations and record survival.
What you receive
Depending on the agreed scope, the result may include a written explanation of the match evidence, reconstructed trees for relevant families, a chart or table showing how match groups connect, documentary source references, a research log and recommended next tests or record searches.
Scope, timing and budget
A tightly defined question about one match or one known relationship may fit the Quick Search package. Unknown-parentage and distant-match cases generally require a larger staged investigation because several family networks may need to be reconstructed before a hypothesis can be tested.
Timing depends on the number and quality of matches, the information in their trees, the generations involved and the availability of supporting records. New testing or replies from other matches may improve a case, but neither can be guaranteed.
Privacy and expectations
DNA information is sensitive, and I handle it discreetly. No outcome can be guaranteed, and unexpected discoveries are possible. Research can identify a well-supported candidate or family group without producing a definitive named individual if the match evidence is too distant or the records are incomplete.
Documentary confirmation
Wherever possible, genetic conclusions are supported with birth, marriage, death, census, parish, probate or other records. The aim is a reasoned conclusion, not simply a predicted relationship label.
If the evidence is not yet enough
An inconclusive result is not treated as a failure. I explain which match groups were investigated, which hypotheses were excluded, what remains uncertain and what additional test, record or relative would be most likely to move the case forward.
Related case study and guide
The Henry Logan case study shows how DNA can reconnect a family where the nineteenth-century paper trail remains incomplete. The GEDmatch interface guide explains several tools that can support match comparison and organisation.