B
Research Forms

While it can be tempting to jump into research and cousin matching as soon as you’ve received your DNA results, you’ll benefit from more careful and thorough analysis of your potential matches, web searches, and ancestral lines. This section contains a number of forms to help you analyze your research and keep your findings in order. You can download versions of these forms online at <ftu.familytreemagazine.com/ft-guide-dna>.

Relationship Chart: Figure out how you’re related to another person based on your most recent common ancestor.
Surname Worksheet: Record important surname information for easy reference.
DNA Cousin Match Worksheet: Document your confirmed DNA cousins.
Match Relationships Worksheet: Determine how you and potential matches relate.
Family Group Sheet: List all you know (and discover) about a particular family.
Five-Generation Ancestor Chart: Trace your family tree back five generations.
Research Log and Planner: Track what you’ve accomplished in your research—and what you still need to do.

Relationship Chart

Instructions:

Identify the most recent common ancestor of the two individuals with the unknown relationship.
Determine the common ancestor’s relationship to each person (for example, grandparent or great-grandparent).
In the topmost row of the chart, find the common ancestor’s relationship to cousin number one. In the far-left column, find the common ancestor’s relationship to cousin number two.
Trace the row and column from step 3. The square where they meet shows the two individuals’ relationship.