Simplified Visualization of DNA Data

Just about a year ago at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Records (IGHR) Blaine Bettinger had a student in class who had developed a simple visualization chart to keep herself organized.  This student was Lauren McGuire. The chart is ingenious within its own simplicity and flexibility. The industry greeted its unveiling and Lauren’s innovative thinking with high praise.  Shared and discussed repeatedly over the year, the method’s finer points have been hailed as an organization success.  The McGuire Method was born. If you would like to read more from the developer herself, please click here.

My McGuire Method Chart

The above McGuire chart is one I am currently working with as I build out my husband’s paternal tree. The son of former displaced persons and Siberian exiles, researching primary documents can be problematic for him. Sometimes you simply have to go with what you have access to.  In this case, DNA is more readily accessible than many government or family records.

This further simplified version of the McGuire chart focuses on the oldest tested generation in each line.  Consequently, testers that fall further down the line are excluded.  The information is redundant in many cases and would cloud up the clarity of the simple view. This is especially true as I am not working with a misattributed parental event (MPE) or a non-paternity event (NPE) at the moment. Many of the testers are siblings and first cousins. They are important for the visual phasing project to come!