Support for citing sources for DNA matches [closed]

Question

How do you keep track of your DNA research (may be especially useful when using abbreviations) . . .

It would be useful for me to have a single table supporting all my DNA research - I'm not sure if it makes sense to put this on a private free space site or just on my PC. I'm new to DNA genealogy, so checking to see if anyone has such a table? I'd think it would be helpful to keep track of the company that provided the match, the MRCA, details of the CM, status of relationship to ancestor(s) (confirmed or confident), abbreviations to name mapping (and any unique identifiers or contact data), + what else.

With regards to DNA confident relationships, do/can these get flagged on profile and in compact tree as DNA confirmed relationships are?

Comments

I keep a Google Sheet with the DNA match information. The Google tools (Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.) are free, so you don't have to pay for a license of Microsoft Excel.

I keep it private, because it has the names of my DNA matches, who almost all of them are living people. I have the abbreviation I use in the citations, associated with the DNA match. Along with a bunch of other data that allows me to either see the match details, or get to other match details.

Answer 1

I use an Excel/Numbers (PC/Mac) spreadsheet to keep track of any DNA research that I am doing.

Comments

Can you share the structure of the spreadsheet (column headings ...)

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Do you have PC or a Mac? I can send you an example.

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Thanks Shonda, I'm on a PC.

Answer 2

To answer your last question, as far as parental relationships and DNA go, there is only the option for 'confirmed with DNA' (and the specific requirements that go with that). The 'confident' relationship status is not specific to DNA evidence, and does not cause any special labels in the tree view.

I don't have any good advice as to what to put in a table, because I think what information is useful may differ depending on what problem you are trying to solve. I would suggest whatever you construct, it may be easier to keep it in your own private storage rather than a free space page to make sure you don't inadvertently run afoul of any of your testing company's terms of service. The companies generally have lots of limitations about what you are allowed to publish about your own matches outside of their site.

Answer 3

These are the columns I've found to be useful:

Source: the testing company

Date: the date I entered the match

Tree: links to trees for the match (abbreviated: F=FTDNA, M=MyHeritage, A=ancestry, W=wikitree, etc, I also enter the date I last checked for matches without trees)

Common Ancestors: names of MRCA if known with links to wikitree profile

Wikitree: wikitree id for most recent ancestor

GEDCOM: # for gedmatch

kit1: my kit # for gedmatch

name1: my name, or name of person whose matches are listed

email1: email for above

kit2: kit # for gedmatch match

name2: name of match

email2: email for above

chr: chromosome #

start: start position of matching segment

end: end position of matching segment

cM: size of matching segment in cM

SNPs: size of matching segment in SNPs

1: M if match is on my maternal side, P for paternal

2: as above for 2nd generation

3: same for 3rd generation

Match: name of shared match that most closely matches the match in this row (primarily for gedmatch and myheritage matches)

cM: size of the match between the two matches

Tri: # for chromosome of triangulated matches, otherwise n for matches that don't triangulate

CA: the mrca for the two matches, or a link to their tree for those whose mrca has not been found

I repeat the last four columns for as many shared matches as exist

Hope this helps.