Image
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Accommodation & Amenities
  • Reservations & Booking
  • West Cork
  • Gallery
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Us

Archive for Ethics of DNA testing

From Family Historian to Genetic Genealogist

Posted by Mark Grace 
· February 7, 2020 

A Modern Trend

My family tree and the stories that connect it have been “work in progress” for the last 40 years. It now comprises of more than 65,000 people. The paper trails that exist are essentially complete. However, I am finding that these decades of investigations have only been necessary preparatory steps for the move into the citizen science of genetic genealogy.

Having such a large family tree enables me to quickly find the paper connection to most genetic cousins but also highlights those areas of mystery when there is no trail. One day, DNA may answer all those questions too.

For the last two years I have been untangling the twists in my own DNA and helping others who match me to do the same. For cousins, I do this on a voluntary basis and try to educate as I go. Genetic genealogy is still new and not widely understood, despite the proliferation of testing to find your ancestral roots.

DNA Tangle

 

Collaboration with DNA Matches is Essential

Collaboration is the first of “Seven C’s” I use when working with others on mutual DNA projects. The full “Seven C’s” will be discussed in a future blog post. A willingness to collaborate is essential, otherwise there is no advancement beyond knowing that you match and not how and why you match. Small matches also have to be verified as likely to be genuine and not coincidential.

Having tested, most have some preliminary results and don’t know what to do next. The testing companies rarely provide guidance and approaches can be viewed with suspicion due to lack of understanding. As a result, it is a struggle to get genetic matches to even respond to messages and requests. For example, a lot more can be learned for free, simply by sharing results on the GEDmatch platform.

Over 99% of people approached on all three main testing sites (Ancestry, FTDNA & MyHeritage) do not respond to enquiries. Most have insufficient knowledge to understand what to do next, are perhaps only interested in their ethnicity or are dormant accounts. DNA are three letters that often spell “scary” and for some it can be understandably hard to get beyond that. In reality, it is not too difficult to pick up. There are some excellent beginners information around in blogs and at isogg.org, including the dispersal of many myths surrounding what can or cannot be learned from a DNA tested specfically designed for genealogy.

DNA Testing is Getting Serious

DNA testing kits for ethnicity have been sold for fun, but there is a much serious side to having done a DNA test. Ethics are still being discussed. The conclusion so far is that there is no right or wrong. The French Government, for example, still bans DNA testing for genealogical purposes, keeping that matter under state control. French citizens, it appears, do not have the right to their own personal DNA information. This is particular frustrating for those of us who have close French branches and would like to genetically prove it. However, it hasn’t stopped some French citizens obtaining kits through neighbouring EU states, as match lists attest.

Elsewhere, testing continues where it is recognised (certainly by the testing companies themselves and those DNA result-sharing platforms) that the sample is owned by the person who provided it, but can be managed by others with informed consent. Viewed as an indiviuals property, a DNA sample and the results have to be considered as such when considering legacy issues.

Your DNA Result is Your Legacy

No-one likes to discuss what happens when you are gone, but most of us take precautions through estate planning – making a Will, having life insurance, making our wishes known to friends and family, or taking out a funeral plan. Some legal professionals, who are also genealogist & involved in genetic genealogy, are beginning to recognise that DNA has to be included in estate planning to protect the legacy. As a tester, you may wish to have your results available to your descendants. Having done some research into this, I will be discussing how to preserve your DNA legacy in another post.

Mark Grace, Resident Genealogist

 

 

Categories : Ballynoe House Blog
Tags : ancestry, atDNA, citizen science, dna legacy, DNA testing, estate planning, Ethics of DNA testing, family history, FamilyTreeDNA, FTDNA, GEDmatch, genealogy, genetic genealogy, ISOGG.org, MyHeritage

About Us

Ballynoe House has three luxury self-catering guesthouses situated just 10 minutes from Clonakilty, the multi-award-winning West Cork tourist destination, and within a short walk of several beaches; an ideal location for your holiday on this part of the Wild Atlantic Way. Our blog posts cover events and opportunities for activities in West Cork as well as Ballynoe House which has a Resident Genealogist and Resident Artist.

Press Coverage:
West Cork People (July 2018)
Irish Independent Travel Feature (December 2018)

From Our Blog

  • Top Tips to Maximise Your Online DNA & Genealogical Profile
  • Guest Profiles
  • Guest Reviews for Ballynoe House 2022
  • Why Guests Stay at Ballynoe House, West Cork
  • Guest Reviews for Ballynoe House 2021
  • One of the Best Autism-Friendly Holiday Locations in Ireland
  • 3rd February is the International BookDirect Guest Education Day
  • West Cork Garden Trail
  • Travelling the Seven C’s – An Approach to Genetic Genealogy (Part 2)
  • Travelling the Seven C’s – An Approach to Genetic Genealogy (Part 1)
  • From Family Historian to Genetic Genealogist
  • Out of Africa – A Personal Ancestral DNA Journey
  • A Sustainable Holiday Means Booking Direct
  • atDNA Goes Pop!
  • Look Before You Book (Our Video Archive)
  • Kevin the Rescue Jackdaw
  • The Folds Beneath Your Feet in West Cork
  • Heads Up on Dandelions
  • Miniature Rock Gardens
  • West Cork Rally 2019
  • Ballynoe House Offers Excellent Value for Money
  • Frequently-Asked Questions
  • Autism-Friendly Accommodation & Environment
  • Clonakilty Festivals
  • Safety & Security for our Guests
  • Forty Years of Family History Research in 2019
  • Sandscove – Our Secret Beach
  • What Use is Sibling DNA for Family History?
  • Sharing Your atDNA Test Results
  • Surf’s Up in West Cork
  • Clonakilty – Ireland’s Place of the Year for 2017
  • Children’s Activities at Ballynoe House
  • West Cork People (July 2018 Edition)
  • Flexible Family Accommodation
  • Self-Catering Doesn’t Necessarily Mean Cooking Yourself
  • Attending a Wedding or Event at a Clonakilty-area Hotel?
  • Partnering with FiveStar International
  • A Tour of Ballynoe Mews (Holiday Lets)
  • Ballynoe House Holiday Lets
  • A Connection to Michael Collins (1890-1922)
  • Having a Whale of a Time
  • Ballynoe House Presents The Barn House
  • The Constant West Cork Gardener
  • DNA Solves a 170-Year-Old Family Mystery
  • DNA in Family History Research
  • Old Postcards of Clonakilty
  • A Family Member Who Sank with the SS Titanic
  • The Documented Extinction of a Family Name
  • The Rewards of Family History
  • The O’NEILL Families of Clonakilty
Ballynoe House
Copyright © 2023 All Rights Reserved