Massachusetts Genealogical Council
Massachusetts Genealogical Council
DNA Education and Information
The MGC DNA Committee
Genealogy researchers use DNA test results to verify and extend their family trees. DNA information thus becomes a record in a family tree. How can we use this record in a manner that ascribes to the website's terms of service and to Genealogy Standards?
The DNA Committee here provides quick links to website information important to the genealogist. This includes terms of service, informed consent, privacy policies, and law enforcement policies.
See also the links below to deeper discussions about privacy, DNA research, and privacy discussions.
Illustration of recombinant DNA from Getty Images.
Website Links (Updated January 2022):
DNA Testing Companies
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Law Enforcement Guide (within Privacy Policy)
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Law Enforcement Guide (within Privacy Policy)
DNA Comparison
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Informed Consent – none currently. See petition
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Privacy Policy (within Terms of Service)
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Law Enforcement Guide (within Terms of Service)
DNA testing resources
Ethics and Consent
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Board for Certification of Genealogists' Ethics of DNA Testing
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Suggested reading: Judy G. Russell, “Ethical Underpinnings of Genetic Genealogy,” in Debbie Parker Wayne, ed., Advanced Genetic Genealogy: Techniques and Case Studies (Cushing, Tex.: Wayne Research, 2019), 303-324.
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Consent Forms (available with Creative Commons licenses)
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Blaine Bettinger’s Informed Consent Agreement and Beneficiary Agreement
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Debbie Parker Wayne’s DNA Consent Forms
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Privacy Concerns
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Suggested reading: Michael D. Lacopo, “Uncovering Family Secrets: The Human Side of DNA Testing,” in Debbie Parker Wayne, ed., Advanced Genetic Genealogy: Techniques and Case Studies (Cushing, Tex.: Wayne Research, 2019), 325-337.