For me, Ancestry.com has been the best DNA website for researching situations involving an unknown parent. Each of the DNA testing sites have their own benefits, and I use most of them for various purposes, but for researching an unknown, Ancestry’s features are far superior to the others.
It is important to understand the basic steps necessary to get the most out of your Ancestry experience. If you have submitted a DNA test to Ancestry.com and are awaiting the results, there are a few things you can do to prepare. For those interested in researching, I highly recommend a subscription to Ancestry. If your family was mainly in the United States (for several generations) you don’t necessarily need access to other countries. As you get more involved in your research and begin to use Fold 3 for military records, or Ancestry.com account.
Begin constructing your family tree. You need to have 2-3 people in your tree before you can save it. Once you have named it, save it. You can make it a public tree (view-able by others) or a private tree. Click on trees, create and manage trees, manage tree, and then click privacy settings. Next, select yourself as the home person in your tree. To do this, toggle back to tree settings (at the top) and select who you are. This is very important! You can use initials or your name. If using your name, it will be kept private because all information on living people is private.
When researching the people in your tree, be careful using the hints provided by Ancestry. Take a close look at and verify the information. Bad habits are hard to break. Taking someone else’s research as true can be a costly mistake down the road. Read and verify everything! Set a goal to have 4-5 generations, well documented, in your tree. By the time your DNA is complete, you will have a solid foundation for researching.
Linking Your Ancestry DNA to Your Tree