DNA Test Interpretation
Most people who take a DNA test end up with more questions than answers. Hundreds of matches, an ethnicity map that surprised them, or a result that does not line up with what the family always believed. Professional interpretation connects what the DNA is actually showing you to the documentary record, so the results become useful rather than confusing.
This service is for anyone who opened their DNA results and was not sure what to do with them. That includes people with hundreds of matches and no idea where to start, people whose ethnicity estimate surprised them or does not match the family story, and people who got an unexpected result: a relative who should not be there, or an ancestry that does not fit what they always believed. It is also for people who have been sitting on their results for months because the whole thing feels overwhelming. You do not need to understand DNA testing to work with me. You just need a question you want answered.
What the research typically involves.
- We discuss your testing: which company, which tests, and what you have already noticed. If helpful, we look at uploading to additional comparison platforms.
- I analyse shared-match clusters, identify the most informative matches, and reconstruct the probable genealogical connections behind them.
- Genetic evidence is integrated with documentary research. Where DNA suggests a connection the paper trail has not yet identified, we follow the records to confirm or refute it.
- Findings are written up so that the conclusion rests on both forms of evidence. Never on DNA alone, and never on documents that DNA contradicts.
Documented findings, yours to keep.
A written interpretation of your results that explains what they actually mean for your family history question. The work typically includes accessing your results directly on the testing platform, organising your shared matches into logical family groupings, and identifying which matches are most informative. Where it helps, I will upload your raw DNA data to additional comparison platforms to expand the pool of matches available to work with.
If your matches include people whose trees are incomplete or private, I can reach out to them on your behalf to gather more information. If you are using DNA to identify an unknown grandparent or other close relative, I can combine match analysis with documentary research to build the case from both directions. The final report documents the evidence, the methodology, and the conclusions, written so you can understand it and, if needed, use it as part of a broader research file.
Transparent Pricing
$65/hour, billed in hourly increments, with nothing hidden.
Every project begins with a six-hour foundation retainer. At the six-hour mark you receive a preliminary report: what has been found, what it means, and what the logical next steps are. From there, you decide how to proceed: continue, pause, or close the file. If there are prepaid hours remaining when a project concludes, they are refunded. You stay in control of the project from start to finish.
What DNA analysis can and cannot do
DNA test results are most useful when read alongside the documentary record, not in isolation. Ethnicity estimates are broad statistical approximations. They tell you roughly where your ancestors came from geographically, but they cannot identify specific individuals or confirm specific relationships. Match lists and shared-segment analysis are far more precise tools, particularly for identifying unknown parentage or confirming hypothetical relationships.
Autosomal DNA (the kind tested by AncestryDNA, 23andMe, and MyHeritage) is effective for identifying relatives within roughly five generations. Y-DNA traces the direct paternal line and is useful for surname research and deep ancestry. Mitochondrial DNA traces the direct maternal line. Each test type has different applications, and combining them with documentary evidence produces the most reliable conclusions.
The goal of professional DNA analysis is to produce a written interpretation that explains what the results mean for your specific family history question, not simply to list your matches, but to use those matches to answer something. That written interpretation can go into a research report or a citizenship application package.
DNA testing does not replace traditional documentary research. It complements it. The most effective use of DNA results is alongside the paper trail: to confirm a relationship that documents suggest, to identify an unknown ancestor when the records run out, or to break through a brick wall that conventional research alone cannot penetrate. Neither works as well without the other.
A note on research outcomes
Research does not always produce the connection a client is hoping for. Records were not always kept, and not everything that was recorded has survived. If a search comes up empty, you receive documentation of exactly where I looked: every archive consulted, every negative result recorded, so the work is transparent regardless of the outcome. I also draw on local researchers and historical societies when specialized knowledge of a specific community or region would help.
Further Reading
Questions about DNA interpretation.
I took a DNA test and have hundreds of matches I do not understand. Where do you start?
We start with your question, not the match list. I access your results on the testing platform, organise your shared matches into logical family groupings, and identify which matches are most informative for what you are trying to find. A list of hundreds of names is overwhelming on its own. The work is turning that list into an answer to a specific question.
Can DNA tell me which specific ancestor someone connects to?
Match analysis can, when read alongside the documentary record. Ethnicity estimates cannot: they are broad statistical approximations of geography, not tools for identifying individuals. Shared-match and shared-segment analysis is far more precise, particularly for identifying unknown parentage or confirming a relationship the paper trail suggests. The conclusion rests on both the DNA and the documents, never on DNA alone.
My ethnicity estimate does not match the family story. What does that mean?
It may mean less than you think, or more. Ethnicity estimates are approximate and frequently surprise people without indicating anything is wrong. An unexpected result can also point to something real in the documentary record worth investigating. The way to tell the difference is to follow the matches and the records, which is exactly what the interpretation does.
Can you help if I am trying to identify an unknown grandparent or parent?
Yes. For unknown close relatives, I combine shared-match analysis with documentary research to build the case from both directions at once. If your matches include people whose trees are incomplete or private, I can reach out to them on your behalf to gather more information. The final report documents the evidence, the method, and the conclusion.
How much does DNA interpretation cost?
$65 per hour, billed in hourly increments, beginning with a six-hour foundation retainer. At the six-hour mark you receive a preliminary report and decide how to proceed. Unused prepaid hours are refunded. The free consultation is where we talk through your testing and what you are hoping to answer before any work begins.
