Through the scientific method, researchers walk through a series of prescribed steps to solve a problem: asking a question, collecting data, developing a hypothesis, building a model and running an experiment that tests the hypothesis, then analyzing data and drawing conclusions based on results. See figure 1 for an overview.
And because genealogy is derived from the word “theory” or “science,” it stands to reason that professionals can use the time-tested scientific method to investigate genealogical mysteries as well as physical ones. In fact, the genealogy industry has developed its own version of the scientific method: the Genealogical Proof Standard (GPS).
When the paper trail comes to an end—as it always does—DNA testing can help establish familial relationships for which no records exist. Fortunately, the scientific method can be applied to both traditional ancestral research and to genetic genealogy.
In this article, I’ll demonstrate how to use the steps of the scientific method to help solve a genetic mystery: how two unknown DNA matches and I are each related to a most-recent common ancestral couple. As we’ll see,
