Sometimes researchers wonder why they should get something when “it’s only going to tell me what I already know.” That’s a valid concern, but there are times when that record that “repeats” what other records say can be helpful, such as: the first record has a questionable informant the first record really doesn’t make sense the first record is difficult to read the first record is one that may be inaccurate And there is always the chance that the “record that tells what you already know” has information that you’ve not located elsewhere. You don’t know until you look.
DNA should not be the only tool in your genealogical research toolbox. Family stories, records at home, published books, official records, etc. should be used together with DNA. The best way to answer research questions and get a complete picture of your ancestral family is to use as many resources as possible. While DNA “doesn’t lie” it is often not as specific as we would like. While paper records can contain outright lies or partial truths, they can provide details DNA does not. They can help you make sense of your DNA results–at least sometimes. And even if you’ve researched paper records for years, don’t expect DNA to immediately solve all those problems you have. Sometimes it will specifically answer a question and other times it will simply tell you […]
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