DNA tests

50Twuncle

Are all DNA tests the same ?
Ancestry currently offer one for £69 (including shipping) - which is a good price if you want your DNA results

But will the Ancestry test show the same details as a MyHeritage test or any others ?
Is there any "regulator" covering these tests ?

Lugh_Chronain

Did you manage to find the information you were looking for?

It's a rainy day here and I've got nothing better to do, plus after looking at your query curiosity got the better of me, so thought I'd look into this and see what I would come up with.

Anyway, here goes.

Each company actually has its own methods, algorithms, and data, so yes, the reports may differ from one ancestry website to another.

Some also use next generation sequencing whereas others use genotyping technology.

Genotyping technology looks for specific parts of DNA and pieces them together, next generation sequencing looks at the protein and coding parts of your genome called the Exome.

(more information on the exome can be found on Wikipedia)

Next generation sequencing could include where your ancestors came from more than 500 years ago for example, your ancestors' migration patterns thousands of years ago, and hominin ancestry, which tells you how much DNA you have in common with a neanderthal, for example.

However, the question you should be asking yourself is which one to go with that will answer the most pressing questions.

Then there is the question of privacy.

James Hazell, a postdoctoral research fellow at Vanderbilt university's centre for biomedical ethics and society points out:

"We are good at clicking agree and not reading the terms of service"

Questions to keep in mind when reading through the terms of service include:

1. Who owns your DNA
2. Who gets to see your de-identified (not attached to your name) information? (Wikipedia: de-identification is the process used to prevent a person's identity from being connected with information)
3. How is the data that's tied to your identifying information used?
4. Can you opt out of giving research partners your genetic data?
5. Can you wipe your information after taking a test?

If you're also looking for anything regarding to your health in your search, the other question you need to ask yourself is: Are DNA tests accurate and do they tell us anything worthwhile?

I would also imagine that the legislations and regulations that cover genealogical sites would include the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act, as well as the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2015.

These regulations and legislations relate to, or have an impact on, your archives and records management.

According to the National Archives there are a number of acts and statutory instruments that go some way towards safeguarding historical records.

Hope this has helped in what you were asking.