- Description
- Curriculum
This hands-on course provides the opportunity for students to apply DNA analysis skills to document one ancestral line back to a second great-grandparent couple. The faculty offers practical step-by-step case examples. The schedule includes ample opportunity for the students to practice and apply the skills to their own research. Private, one-on-one consultation time with faculty is available.
At course completion, students will leave with:
• A source-cited lineage, including proof of biological parentage that meets Genealogy Standards
• A graphic descendant tree
• A unique, student-generated “Golden Nuggets” Quicksheet
The course teaches integration of documentary and genetic evidence to achieve proof. It is best to learn the methodology on an easier case. Students select one ancestral line in advance. A good choice would be a well-documented line from a DNA test taker to a second great-grandparent couple that is free of unknown parentage and pedigree collapse. Optimally, the student will use autosomal test results from second and third cousins on each of the great-grandparents lines to filter and sort DNA match lists. The cousins can be serendipitous matches or those that result from targeted testing.
Course Outline
Week 1, February 16
9:00‒9:30
Course Overview (Stanbary)
9:30‒10:45
Genealogy Standards (Stanbary)
Karen discusses DNA-related standards in the context of established genealogy methodology and principles.
10:45‒11:00
Break
11:00‒12:00
What is the best evidence? (McGhie)
Angela engages the class in making decisions about selecting the best sources to prove parent-child relationships.
12:00‒12:15
Analysis of Documentary Research (Stanbary)
Karen introduces a handy template to aid the students to assess documentary source quality.
12:15‒1:15
Lunch
1:15‒2:00
Descending Genealogy Essentials (McGhie)
Angela will cover genealogy numbering styles, parenthetical ancestry outlines, immigrant numbers, and the essentials of the introductory paragraph.
2:00‒2:45
Genealogy Template (Deeter)
Kaelyn will provide a live demo to get your template up and running.
2:45–4:45
Hands-on independent work time
1:1 Consultations (Stanbary, McGhie, Jones, Deeter)
20-minute consultation slots. Students write the introductory paragraph for Generation One. Students begin entering documentary source citations for vital information.
HOMEWORK
Using the Descending Genealogy format and a standard numbering system, students use the week to enter names and vital information with complete source citations for each parent-child relationship on the ancestral line from the 2nd great-grandparent couple to the base test taker.
Week 2, February 23
9:00–9:30
Coffee with Karen (Stanbary)
9:30–10:45
Working with Autosomal DNA: Methodology and Confirming Cousins Worksheet (Stanbary)
An overview of the methodology for confirming biological relationships on a traced ancestral line of descent.
10:45–11:00
Break
11:00–12:15
Working with Autosomal DNA: Test Taker Analysis, Pedigree Evaluation and Mitigation (Stanbary)
Introduction to all new updated worksheets designed to guide the student through DNA match analysis.
12:15–1:15
Lunch
1:15–2:45
Case Study: Filtering and Sorting Matches (McGhie)
Angela inspires with a demonstration of how to apply the methodology to one of her ancestral lines. #notsobad
2:45–4:30
Hands-on independent work time
1:1 Consultations (Stanbary, McGhie, Jones, Deeter)
20-minute consultation slots. Students seek feedback on their documentation for each parent-child relationship. Possible limited slots available by lottery for problem-solving.
HOMEWORK
Students select the DNA test takers for proving each generation in the project and complete the analysis of shared matching, amount of shared DNA, pedigree evaluation and mitigation, and if applicable, admixture analysis.
Week 3, March 16
9:00–9:30
Coffee with Karen (Stanbary)
9:30–10:45
Traced Descendant Trees, Strategies to Identify Focal Study Group Test Takers (Stanbary)
Traced Descendant Trees are an essential visual tracking tool. Learn various techniques to easily build the tree. Exploration of clustering and shared matching strategies to generate previously unidentified focal study group cousins.
10:45–11:00
Break
11:00–12:15
Tips for Searching and Communicating with Living People (Zinck)
Jennifer will discuss a variety of non-traditional sources to learn more about living people that will help place them in a family.
12:15–1:15
Lunch
1:15–2:00 (Stanbary)
Writing about DNA: Common Situations
Karen will guide a discussion about writing choices for common DNA problems such as pedigree collapse and misattributed parentage.
2:00–4:45
Hands-on independent work time
1:1 Consultations (Stanbary, McGhie, Jones, Deeter)
30-minute consultation slots. Problem-solving.
HOMEWORK
Students continue to analyze and add matches to the focal study group. Build match pedigrees. Add to descendant tree and Genealogy as appropriate.
Week 4, March 23
9:00–9:30
Coffee with Karen (Stanbary)
9:30–10:45
Writing About Proof of Biological Relationships, Part I (Stanbary)
Karen will discuss simple proofs that integrate documentary and genetic evidence using reasoning.
10:45–11:00
Break
11:00–12:15
Writing About Proof of Biological Relationships, Part II (Stanbary)
Karen will discuss more complex proofs that present challenges such as pedigree problems, lack of test takers for a specific generation, use of indirect documentary evidence, resolution of conflicting documentary evidence.
12:15–1:15
Lunch
1:15–2:45 (Stanbary)
Writing about Proof of Biological Relationships, Part III
Karen will discuss documentation and the use of tables and figures with explanatory text.
2:45–4:45
Hands-on independent work time
1:1 Consultations (Stanbary, McGhie, Jones, Deeter)
30-minute consultation slots. Problem-solving.
HOMEWORK
Students complete the Lineage report including at least one Parentage Proof.
Week 5, March 30
9:00–9:30
Coffee with Karen (Stanbary)
9:30–10:45
Providing Feedback in Peer Review (McGhie)
Angela will lead a discussion of do’s and don’ts for providing helpful peer feedback
10:45–11:00
Break
11:00–12:15 (Stanbary)
Peer Review
Students meet in breakout rooms to present and receive feedback on their work. Stanbary will drop in to provide support.
12:15–1:15
Lunch
1:15–2:00 (Stanbary)
Peer Review
Students meet in breakout rooms to present and receive feedback on their work. Stanbary will drop in to provide support.
2:00–2:45 (Stanbary)
I Deserve the Genealogy SuperStar Award…
Open class discussion.
2:45–4:00
Golden Nuggets (Stanbary)
The class will work collaboratively to create a “Golden Nugget Quicksheet” — a handy summary of essential points learned throughout the week.
Class sessions held Tuesdays, 16 February through 30 March 2027, 9:00am-4:30pm Mountain Time.
No class on March 2 for Rootstech.
No class on March 9 Independent Writing Time.
Course Coordinator:
Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG®, CGG®
Additional Faculty:
Angela Packer McGhie, CG®, FUGA
Thomas W. Jones, CG®, FASG, FUGA, FNGS
Kaelyn Deeter, CG®
Jen Zinck, CG®
This is an INTERMEDIATE methodology course focusing on autosomal DNA. This course will not cover beginning DNA topics such as inheritance patterns, tools, and references. The prerequisite requires previous completion of the following full-week institute courses at any genealogical institute in two categories:
An intermediate level methodology course such as:
1—Intermediate Foundations, Intermediate Genealogy and Historical Studies, Digger Deeper: Records, Tools and Skills
A DNA course such as:
2—Beginning DNA, Introduction to Genetic Genealogy, Practical Genetic Genealogy, All-DNA Evidence Analysis Practicum
If a registrant does not meet the prerequisites, a work sample may be submitted for consideration that correlates genetic and documentary sources to establish a conclusion meeting the Genealogical Proof Standard.
Completion of this course will serve as a prerequisite for the traditional Advanced DNA courses coordinated by Karen Stanbary and offered at SLIG and IGHR. This course will also serve as a prerequisite for the new hands-on mini–DNA Workshops that will focus on one advanced DNA analysis strategy or methodology over the course of one to two days.
Pre-reading Requirements:
Jones, Thomas W. Mastering Genealogical Proof. Arlington, Va.: National Genealogical Society, 2013.
Mills, Elizabeth Shown. Evidence Explained: Citing History Sources from Artifacts to Cyberspace, 4th ed. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 2024. (Please study the first three chapters).
In-Class References:
Board for Certification of Genealogists. Genealogy Standards, 2nd ed., rev. Arlington, Virginia: Turner, 2021.
Curran, Joan Ferris, Madilyn Cone Crane, and John H. Wray. Numbering Your Genealogy: Basic Systems, Complex Families, and International Kin. Arlington, Virginia: National Genealogical Society, 2008.
Golden Nuggets
The class will collaborate on a “Golden Nuggets Quicksheet” of handy tips and strategies learned throughout the week.
