A Ready-for-RootsTech Guide to DNA

Preparation is a key to success. When it comes to RootsTech, the largest genealogy conference in the world, it can make all the difference, especially if you’ve set specific goals you want to achieve at the conference. If one of your goals is to learn more about DNA testing and genetic genealogy, this guide is for you.

Why DNA?

There are usually two reasons individuals test their DNA for genetic genealogy: 1) to learn ethnicity estimates, and 2) to connect with genetic cousins for reunions or for information about their common heritage paper trail. There will opportunities at this year’s RootsTech conference to learn all you need to for either of these scenarios.

This year CeCe Moore, a prominent genetic genealogist, will address RootsTech attendees Saturday morning as a keynote speaker. In addition, RootsTech will offer over 20 sessions covering genetic genealogy ranging from beginning to advanced, and 5 pre-registration lab classes to inform and educate participants on this timely topic. The Expo Hall will host five genetic genealogy companies who will have representatives available to answer your questions: 23andMe, AncestryDNA, Family Tree DNA, LivingDNA, and MyHeritage DNA.

Prepare Now

1. Create a list of your questions. First, write down any DNA questions you have at this point. When you have finished reading this post and its associated links, review your questions to see if you have discovered your answers. If not, organize them and bring them to RootsTech. You will then be prepared to ask these questions in any session where the presenter offers a question-and-answer time, or you can bring your questions to the Expo Hall to have your questions answered by representatives of the different DNA companies. Clear, concise, and thoughtful questions are always easier for the experts to answer.

2. Define your goals. If you’ve seen a news report on the topic of DNA testing or watched one of the televised shows using genetic genealogy and wonder, Where this is all going?, you may want to attend “How Will DNA Continue to Disrupt Our Industry?”on Wednesday afternoon. Scott Fisher of Extreme Genes will moderate this panel of DNA experts from a variety of DNA-related fields.

   If DNA testing for genealogy is new to you, your goal might be to learn what tests are available. Sessions that may be helpful are Dianhan Southard’s Wednesday 3:00 p.m. presentation, “DNA: The Glue That Holds Families Together” or Tim Janzen’s Thursday 11:00 a.m. presentation, “Family Finder, 23andMe, and AncestryDNA: An Introduction.” The latter presentation is focused on the long-standing direct-to-consumer testing companies, including Family Tree DNA, who pioneered using DNA for genealogical use.

   If you are of African descent, Shannon Christmas will be presenting an intermediate session titled, “Identity by Descent: Using DNA to Extend the African-American Pedigree”on Friday. There are many other intermediate sessions and a few advanced sessions to instruct you this year at RootsTech.

   If you are interested in citing DNA results or writing up your results, there are two session that may be helpful: Thomas Jones will present an intermediate session on Thursday titled, “Writing about and Documenting DNA Results,” and Angie Bush will present an advanced session on Friday titled, “DNA: Citations, Proof Arguments and Conclusions.” Thomas Jones will also present a session for advanced practitioners titled, “Using Autosomal DNA to Help Extend a Lineage.” You can see the full list of classes below.

3. Become familiar with the 5 DNA companies represented in the Expo Hall. If you are planning to test your DNA as a result of what you learn at this conference, become familiar with the 5 DNA companies and what DNA tests are offered by each. Also learn about the legal notices for each company, such as their terms of service and privacy policies. Each company’s legal notices are different. Presenters have their own vested interests as employees, affiliates, and business owners and may only cover a portion of relevant material in any given session. Time is limited. Not all companies may be represented in each session you attend. Understanding the legal notices before coming to RootsTech frees you to make an informed decision at the conference. Most, if not all, companies will offer special pricing on their kits at the conference. Many individuals test with more than one company. Here is a summary of the companies that will be at RootsTech:

   	23andMe	AncestryDNA	FamilyTreeDNA	LivingDNA	MyHeritageDNA
   Year company founded	April 2006 (As of Oct 2015, meets FDA standards)	May 2012	Early 2000 (Y-DNA & mtDNA) Family Finder May 2010	2016	2016
   Autosomal DNA (atDNA)	Yes: $99—ancestry portion; $199—health and ancestry	Yes: $99	Yes: FamilyFinder: currently $79	Yes: $159	Yes: $79
   Y-DNA (patrilineal line)	Yes—for males only. Select locations—included in the price of the atDNA test		Yes—for males only. Starting at $169 (depends on # of markers)	Yes—for males only. 20,000 markers tested—included as part of a 3-in-1 test
   mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA—matrilineal line)	Yes: select locations—included in the price of the atDNA test		Yes: mtDNA+—$79 mtDNA full sequence—$199 (most accurate)	Yes—4,000 markers tested—included as part of a 3-in-1 test
   Method of collection of sample	saliva sample	saliva sample	cheek swab	cheek swab	cheek swab
   Additional subscription necessary to maximize use of results	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
   Legal notices (If interested in purchasing a kit at RootsTech, please read before the conference—it saves valuable conference time.)	Terms of Service Privacy highlights	For US: Terms and Conditions For International: Terms and Conditions Additional Privacy Policy: Privacy Statement	Privacy Policy, Terms of Service, and Refunds	For US: Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy	Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy
   Affiliations			Family Tree DNA is the official testing partner for National Geographic's Genographic Project.
   Company headquarters	Mountain View, CA, USA	Lehi, UT, USA	Houston, TX, USA	Frome, Somerset, United Kingdom	Or Yehuda, Israel
   Official website	23andme.com	ancestry.com/dna/	familytreedna.com	livingdna.com/en-us	myheritage.com/
   Expo Hall booth #	Booth 638	Booth 303	Booths 535, 537, 634, 636	Booth 233	Booth 502

4. Create a DNA testing plan. Creating a DNA testing plan will provide focus, save you money, and give you the best chance of answering your research questions. Be familiar with each of the three DNA tests used for genealogical purposes, and be confident that the kit you order will answer the family history question you want answered. Read more about how to create a plan.

Do you still have questions? These sessions may have your answers!

Not all individuals need DNA testing to answer their family history questions. But, as you will hear from CeCe Moore and others at RootsTech, DNA testing offers those who have unanswered questions, such as adoptees, amazing results in extending their biological pedigree. It is a source that relies on the permission of family members to obtain. All people who test must agree to the legal notices, such as terms of service and privacy policy, of the company they use for testing. These policies are different for each company and are best read in an environment conducive to understanding the terms. Read more about DNA terms and conditions.

Genetic genealogy is an exciting and developing field. It can provide answers to family mysteries. It has brought joy to many and sorrow to a few. It is a topic worth learning about so you can make an educated decision about how DNA testing can potentially help you strengthen your family relationships among the living and add to your family tree.

Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is for information only. The final decision to act upon this information is your own and you take sole responsibility for all outcomes.

Lynn Broderick (https://thesingleleaf.wordpress.com/) is a writer by birth, a teacher by profession, and a researcher by passion. She enjoys researching individuals of the past in the context of family, community, and social history. Known as the Single Leaf, she combined her childhood memories of football and genealogy to create genealogy football and works with her team to win their family history bowl each year. She loves to coach people on how to enjoy pursuing their family history and has done so for over 25 years.