Guidelines to find and choose the best laboratory to conduct ancestry DNA test

Ancestry DNA testing has become a popular trend these days. DNA testing services allow you to get a detailed or brief report of your ancestry, heritage, or lineage. For this, you just need to give a tube full of your saliva or a quick cheek swab. It is as simple as this, and you get to know a lot about your heritage. You can choose to trace your ancestry for your maternal side or paternal side.

It is to be noted that these tests do not come cheap. They are quite expensive and thus, you must use your money wisely. So, you must get the test done by a reputed service provider. Since these services are in such a high demand these days, many new companies are entering the field every couple of months. This makes it difficult to determine which ancestry DNA testing organization to rely upon to get the most accurate report. It is only after a detailed survey and research that you will find the best service provider.

Here are certain guidelines to find the best ancestry DNA test service provider.

Do not choose a brand solely because of its popularity
In order to be the most popular in terms of visibility, many brands heavily market themselves. Just because they have marketed their services well does not mean that the quality of the actual service would be good. However, it does not mean that none of the popular brands is worth a try. There are companies that have great service record along with a great marketing team.

There are companies which are not so popular in terms of visibility but offer excellent services. They may be new in the field of ancestry DNA testing services and are slowly learning the trick of the trade as far as marketing is concerned. Such companies can be good at providing accurate DNA test results.

Find a service provider who operates in the USA
A lot of laboratories across the country are held to high standards by the CILA, FDA, and other government regulatory bodies. Thus, they are way safe, secure and up-to-date with their equipment and procedures. When you go to analyze your DNA to a laboratory, you can be certain of the fact that they would take all precautions to protect your personal information and ensure that only you would have access to the results. This is possible due to the high standards and regulations that labs across the country must maintain and follow.

An overseas laboratory would not have these many regulations and protocols to abide by. Moreover, it is not quite easy to hold them responsible for not meeting service quality standards.

Ensure that legitimate scientists are analyzing your DNA sample
Most companies use mass-produced software and equipment to analyze DNA samples. These companies do not always hire a professional to run the tests. You do not want your DNA to be tested using a software or equipment by someone who is not qualified enough to do something of such high importance.

Find a company which can put a face to the software they use to analyze DNA. This company must have a genetics professional as its employee who has developed the software solely for genealogical purposes. It is important to note that Geneticist-developed software would be able to analyze your DNA in the most efficient manner. This is because actual geneticists know which of the DNA markers are of most relevance to track and trace your ancestry. These would help you get the most accurate information. Do not fall for the brands that use basic software for DNA analysis but claim to evaluate thousands of genetic markers just to sound impressive. The markers of this software are mostly irrelevant to your ancestry and thus can only offer you a biased result.

Popular ancestry DNA testing companies
CRI Genetics and Family Tree DNA are two of the most popular and reliable companies operating in the country worth considering. They are known to offer the best in terms of services, testing methods, customer services, return policy, charges, research & scientific evidence, company reputation, and CLIA compliance.

Following the above-mentioned points would help to find out the most reliable service provider who would offer you precise information about your lineage. Reading reviews by previous clients about different ancestry DNA testing organizations would also help you find a dependable DNA testing company. Be sure that you want to do the test and learn about your ancestry. This is because sometimes there are things that people do not like what they learn about themselves. Once you have gotten your DNA test result, it is expected of you to share the same with the world only if you want to. This way, a distant relative who has also done such a test can get in touch with you and both of you can join the dots on your family tree.