Are You Sure Your Want to Take a DNA Test?
DNA testing is a powerful tool that has the potential to reveal information about your family that cannot be obtained any other way. Usually that is a good thing. However DNA testing can also reveal hidden secrets.
It is not uncommon for DNA testing to reveal adoptions, out of wedlock births and other unanticipated or unexpected relationships. If you are not willing to face the possibility of such discoveries then taking a DNA test may not be the thing for you to do.
Suggested Reading: The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are by Libby Copeland.
Ordering Your Kit from Ancestry.com
The cost of a DNA kit varies. A basic AncestryDNA kit can be purchased for $100 (see Ancestry DNA Kit website). However, Ancestry routinely offers discounts (especially around holidays), so look for special offers.
You will need to create an Ancestry.com account to order your kit. Be sure to record the information about this account because you will need to access it as your kit is processed and to view the results of your testing when they become available.
Traits?
For an addition fee you can receive information about possible genetic influences on your appearance, fitness, nutrition and sensory tendencies. This aspect of DNA testing will not be addressed in our workshop.
When You Receive The Kit
You kit will provide exact instructions for submitting your sample. This will include:
- Providing your sample (a.k.a. “spitting”), and
- Associating your kit with your Ancesty.com account, and
- Returning the sample for processing.
Choosing A Name To Associate With Your Kit
Give some thought to the name you want to associate with your DNA kit. Some people are willing to use their real name: Others want a little more anonymity and select a more cryptic name. Keep in mind that this is how it will be publicly identified on the Ancestry.com website when the results do become available.
Multiple Kits?
You can associate more than one DNA kit with the tree on your Ancestry.com account if desired. This may be useful if you are managing DNA testing for other members of your family.
Note that Ancestry.com only allows you to have one active tree. If the kits you are managing are for people who are not in your immediate family you may want consider creating a new Ancestry.com account to manage those kits. This will allow you to create a family tree that can be associated with the DNA kit(s) for that family .
How Long Does It Take?
It will take a week or so for ancestry to deliver your testing kit once you have ordered it. Allow an additional 6 – 8 weeks for Ancestry to process your DNA kit and make the results available on their website once you have mailed it back to them.
Creating Your Family Tree on Ancestry.com
DNA results are interesting by themselves, but to make them genealogically useful you will probably want to associate a Family Tree with your DNA results when they become available.
You can create a tree on Ancesty.com at no cost. You can log into your Ancestry.com account and build the tree there. You can also upload a GEDGOM file if you have created the tree elsewhere.
Accessing Your Results
Ancestry will send you an email message when your results are available.
Log into your Ancestry.com account to view your results.
If you have a tree available on Ancestry.com you can associate it with your DNA kit.
What Will You Be Able To See?
You will be able to see your ethnicity estimate, your Family Tree, and information about other DNA kits that match your kit.
It will be necessary for you to purchase an Ancestry Membership to access other Ancestry.com features.
- They offer a free 14-day trial membership which is a good way to investigate what they have to offer. See their website at https://www.ancestry.com/offers/freetrial for more details about the trial and information about their membership options.
