World Families Network
Where Genealogy meets DNA Testing
Frequently
Asked Questions (FAQs-2)
Click here for FAQs-1
WARNING!
You are viewing an old version of our website (circa
2005/2006). Much of the information is out-of-date and many of the
links may no longer work. Please visit the new version of our
website at worldfamilies.net.
The new FAQs page is located
here.
Thanks to my son,
Brett, for creating the initial list of questions. Brett holds his Dad to
a high standard and phrased the questions as he felt that a visitor would
want them phrased, making many of them tough to answer. And thanks
also to Walter J. Freeman, Ph.D., who created his own Q&A just as I
created this FAQ. He kindly shared his work and I copied some of his
answers, as they were better than mine. I hope that you can add to your knowledge
of Surname DNA Testing through these FAQs.
Please help by advising of
questions that you think need to be added and by suggesting corrections,
additions and improvements by
posting on our forums.
Terry
Barton
You may also
find useful information at Family Tree DNA's Frequently Asked Questions.
Click
Here
What is genealogy?
What is DNA?
Why should I get
tested?
Are there any
downsides to getting tested?
What is a Surname DNA
project?
What do I need to
know to set up a Surname DNA project?
How do I present my
results on the internet?
Who are you people
anyway?
What is genealogy?
Genealogy is: “an
account or history of the descent of a person or family from an ancestor;
enumeration of ancestors and their children in the natural order of
succession; a pedigree. It is also the regular descent of a person or
family from a progenitor; pedigree; lineage”
Source
I'm new to genealogy,
how do I get started?
Start by asking family
members for information on your family. Someone may have already compiled
a portion or even a significant amount of your family. There may be a
family bible with births, marriages & deaths. Older family members may
recall information that you can compile. As a first step, prepare a chart
showing your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, etc., reaching
back as far as you can find information. Begin collecting the following
information as a minimum: full name, date and place of birth, marriage and
death. Add to your collection of information as you learn more. Here is
an easy-to-use,
free genealogy software that provides a way for you to collect and
compile your information.
One word of advice:
document the source of every single piece of information that you obtain
(and their source, where given). Most experienced researchers will
privately admit that they learned this the hard way and had to later sort
out their undocumented collection of earliest materials.
How do I find other
researchers that share my ancestry?
The first place to
start your search is within your own extended family, including
great-aunts/uncles and second, third or fourth cousins. They may be
already researching your family or know a distant relative who has more
information. Eventually, you’ll want to seek out any Family Historical
Societies and start looking on the Internet. There are several Internet
sites that sponsor Surname Forums and Discussion Boards. Two good ones
are at
RootsWeb and
GenForum. Once you find your Surname site, use the search tool to
look for your earliest ancestors. And, post a message identifying your
early ancestor(s), including date and place of birth, spouse, where they
lived and any other distinctive information. Make the Subject line as
specific as you can. You also should check to see if there are alternate
spellings of your surname that also have a site.
What are the best
places to discuss my findings?
The best place to
discuss your findings is with someone who is interested. The closer the
ancestor is related to you, the more the interest will be within your own
family, while distant cousins will share your interest in earlier
ancestors. Many people compile their family information and share copies
within their close family, or even publish their information. With the
advent of the Internet, more and more researchers are compiling and
presenting their family information on their websites. Sometimes, there
are extensive discussions about early ancestors of general interest on the
Surname sites. Family History and Genealogical Societies are great places
to share and discuss information. Often, these can be found with a search
through
Google.
What is DNA?
DNA or DeoxyriboNucleic Acid is the molecule
sometimes known as the blueprint of life.
It contains the genetic code that exists in each cell of our
bodies and is found throughout nature in living things.
Genealogists can compare certain sequences or markers on specific
chromosomes between living individuals in hopes of finding common
ancestors.
How can DNA testing
help genealogy?
For purposes of
surname genealogy studies, DNA refers to the 23rd chromosome
pair. Females have two x chromosomes, while males have one x and one y
chromosome. The y chromosome is passed from father to son and is usually
identical from father to son. Occasionally, there is a mutation. Over
1000s of years, these mutations have resulted in distinctive DNA profiles
for different families. These differences are the focus of DNA testing in
genealogy, often called yDNA.
My
ancestors are all long dead. How
do I get their DNA?
Males
carry the yDNA of their Surname ancestors, so we test them as
representatives of their ancestors..
DNA tests are taken from the living and compared among groups of
people. We look for
male descendants who share a common surname or surname spelling
variant. A single Y-DNA
test is not that useful, but can be very revealing when compared to
known or suspected cousins. In
many cases, yDNA matches among individuals indicate a common male
ancestor who may have lived hundreds
of years ago, with the “cousins”
being completely unknown to one another.
How does DNA testing
work?
The DNA test is
typically a cheek swab, which collects tissue cells. The laboratory
examines these cells and uses standardized
protocols to count the number of repeats of genetic patterns
at standardized locations on the DNA helix. A DNA result is a set of
repeats (numbers) at particular addresses (markers). By comparing the
numbers at the markers, we can determine if a man shares a common ancestor
with a second sample. Typically, this is recorded as the number of exact
matches and the total number of markers, i.e.: 12/12, 23/25 33/37,
etc. Generally, for a greater number of markers, there is a higher
reliability and for a closer the match in numbers, there is a closer
relationship.
How conclusive is DNA
testing?
The typical researcher
is interested in specific individuals in a specific family tree, while DNA
testing evaluates common ancestry. By itself, a DNA test cannot confirm
that a specific individual is the ancestor of the test participant.
However, DNA testing can confirm that two test participants
share a common ancestor. When
combined with traditional genealogy, DNA results can aid in reconstructing
genealogies and can confirm or refute specific relationships, including
descent from specific ancestors, with a high degree of confidence. The most useful comparisons are between men who have
closely matching yDNA patterns and who have also established paper trails
(genealogies).
DNA testing can be
conclusive in proving that a male from an earlier generation is NOT an
ancestor. The degree of certainty is a function of genealogies of the
participants who document the earlier male.
Can I use DNA testing
in lieu of other research?
DNA testing should be
used as a supplement to traditional research. It has a limited value when
used alone.
Who should get tested?
Anyone who is
interested in confirming their surname ancestry should consider DNA
testing. A male can represent himself and his surname family, while a
female will need to arrange for a male relative to represent her and her
family.
Sooner or later, in researching a family tree, we all get to
the point where the paper records become scarce to non-existent.
Perhaps we have several possibilities or much circumstantial
evidence as to whom the next ancestor in a line may be, but no way to
determine which is which. DNA
testing may be just the thing to help to break down some of those
“brick walls,” which sooner or later, we all face.
Why should I get
tested?
You should get tested
if it will aid in defining the DNA profile of your surname ancestors.
When your DNA profile is combined with another descendant of a common
ancestor, it can define the DNA profile of that earlier ancestor. When
combined with your brother’s result, your test will define the common
ancestor (your father). When combined with a 5th cousin’s DNA,
your result will define the result of your gggg-grandfather.
For a man who has
already had a close relative tested, there may be little value in his
additional testing unless there are specific questions to be answered.
Of particular concern
are the sole surviving male representatives of a family line. Once they
are gone, their family cannot be directly represented. These men are
particularly important to their family study and should be strongly
considered for testing. Many families already have stories of DNA testing
a family member who has since died, or of not getting a test on a family
member before they passed on.
How useful will DNA
testing be for me?
The answer will vary
for each individual. For a man with a distinctive DNA profile who matches
into a family whose profile has already been established, the result can
be quite useful, as it can confirm his family and leave only the question
of which members are his actual direct ancestors. For the man whose
result matches multiple distinct families of the same surname, the result
can be ambiguous. For the man who fails to match any other participant,
the result can be quite frustrating. Over time, as additional markers and
participants are added, we can hope that results for the latter two become
as useful as they are for the first case.
How much does it cost?
Testing cost varies.
Generally, cost increases as the number of markers increases. The lowest
cost is about $100 for a 12-marker test, while a 59-marker test can be
obtained for about $270. The 37-marker test is about $190.
Where should I go to
get tested?
The best way to be
tested is as part of a Surname DNA Project. As there are some differences
in the markers tested by the various testing companies, it is quite
helpful to obtain a test from the same testing company as other men with
your surname. When a Surname Project has not already been started,
consideration should be given to
starting one.
When should I expect
my results back?
Figure on about 8
weeks
from the time you order your kit and you will be prepared for the wait.
What will my results
look like?
The appearance varies
by testing company, but the critical information typically comes in a
simple table. The result is primarily a listing of the markers that have
been tested, plus a number for each marker. Click
here to see the results for Participants of Barton Lineage II
Project. (The Markers are listed in the first two gray rows, while
results for Participants A-48, B-2, … are shown in rows down the chart.)
How do I interpret my
results?
Generally, you
interpret your results by comparing them with the results of other
participants.
How do I compare my
results to other people?
Results are compared
by tabulating the number of “matches” you have with one other participant.
A comparison for a low-resolution test might give a result of 8/12, 11/12
or 12/12, while higher resolution tests might give a 23/25, a 25/26 or a
34/37 result. (If you have a 37 marker test and are comparing with
someone who had a 12 marker test, the best result that you can have with
them is 12/12)
In the
Barton Lineage II example, A-48 and B-2 are 26/26 matches, which
indicates that they share a common early ancestor. The same A-48 is a
25/26 match to B-4, B-33 & C-17, who are only 24/26 matches with each
other. All of these men share a common early ancestor. Another example
from this page is A-22 and A-52, who are only 4/26 and who do not share a
common ancestor.
Are there any
downsides to getting tested?
A possible downside is
that one may not get the result that one hopes for, or expects. For many
people, that will be viewed as additional information and they will
continue their research. However, for those individuals where that result
causes significant distress, it could be a downside.
What if I get back
results I don't like, such as indications of a non-paternity event?
Non-paternity results
did occur and they may be obvious through DNA testing when the result is
being compared in a well-documented family.
There are several
scenarios that fit into the category of non-paternity event. One, of
course, is infidelity, while another common event was the unrecorded
adoption. As there were many adult deaths on the frontier, children were
frequently raised by relatives or friends, with the adoptive parents
giving the child their own last name. Where infidelities or adoptions
have long been rumored and now proven, there can be some satisfaction.
Where an infidelity or adoption occurred in a well-documented family,
identifying it helps in clarifying the DNA profile of descendants. Where
the non-paternity event occurs in a family without extensive
documentation, it can be very disruptive and prevent the participant from
obtaining matches within the surname.
Will this test tell me
about medical conditions?
No. (The DNA
evaluated in this test is often called “junk DNA’ because of its lack of
medical information.)
Will it tell me if I'm
illegitimate?
Not unless your father
is also tested. (There are other DNA tests that consider different
markers that are more useful for legitimacy testing.)
Who has access to my
results?
Testing Companies and
Surname Projects historically allow the test participant control of access
to their identity and disclosure of their results.
Confidentiality
is paramount in all testing companies listed here. You can share your data publicly on databases by encoding
your results with a kit number and an ancestor’s name. This is sufficient for others, who have a genealogical
interest to find and to contact you.
In this manner, you can share your test data without revealing your
identity or the identity of the testee, if it is from some one other than
yourself.
Typically, the results
are identified by a code. Only you, the Surname Project Coordinator and a
small number of employees of the testing company can correlate your
identity to your code number.
Most Surname Projects
list the results of all participants together in a table, with most only
identifying the participant by his code number and/or by the earliest
known ancestor. A number of projects allow the participant to self
disclose his identity.
Can insurance
companies use my findings against me?
There is nothing in your DNA result that is of interest to an
insurance company. Y-DNA
testing is extraordinarily specific to just the markers of interest to
genealogists. These markers
exist in so-called “non-coding” regions of the Y-chromosome.
(The DNA evaluated in this test is often called “junk DNA” because of
its lack of medical information.) The
Y-chromosome contains very little genetic data, and those regions of the
Y-chromosome are not tested in any case
What about police
investigations?
You are not uniquely
identified by this DNA testing. Your result cannot be correlated to DNA
samples used in police work.
Will the testing
company sell my results to anyone else?
No. Each testing
company makes a written commitment to you respecting your privacy. You
have to sign a release to even get your results compared to other
participants in their database.
What is a Surname DNA
project?
The test uses DNA from
a man’s y-chromosome to identify genetic markers, which have been passed
from Father to Son. Most of the time, a nearly exact copy of the father’s
DNA used for Surname testing is passed to the son. Scientific testing has
identified a number of markers, which change randomly and infrequently.
Based on the matches and differences in these markers that occur between
individuals, probabilities of relationship to a common male ancestor can
be made. Since the focus of Surname DNA testing is on the common early
ancestors, most Surname Projects identify test participants by their
earliest known ancestor of that surname.
Why do a Surname DNA project?
The reasons vary by project, but
most projects intend to confirm relationships identified by traditional
genealogy, to locate related families lost through the passage of time and
to identify the origin of the family’s early ancestors.
Large surname projects may work to
catalog all known Families carrying the surname. As many surnames have
evolved over time, a common approach is to open a surname project to all
known spellings.
How do I start a new
project?
Family Tree DNA
expects you to ultimately have 6 participants, but has a number of
projects listed with one or two participants. Here is a
link to their page with instructions.
Alternately, we will set
up the project for you through World Families Network and allow you to
be the Co-Admin or simply be a participant. Click here to request
us to set up your Surname Project
Surname Project Registration Page
How do I add my
existing project to your World Families Network listing?
Simply go to our
Surname Project Registration Page, fill out the form and press
“submit”.
How will other people
find my project?
We maintain
The World's most complete Surname DNA Project listing. This includes
all projects that are listed with Family Tree DNA plus any projects that have individually registered with World
Families Network. We believe that this represents over 90% of all surname
projects worldwide. Anyone searching at the testing company that handles
your project will also find your project.
Why should I list my
project through your website?
You will list your
project at WFN because you want to maximize the possibility of a potential
participant finding your project. By
listing at World Families Network, you help assure that nearly all Surname
Projects are included in a single listing. (If your project is listed with Family Tree DNA, we will automatically include it in our list)
How do I find an
existing project?
The fastest way is to
search at
The World's most complete Surname DNA Project listing. Keep in mind
that there are many spelling variations of some surnames. If you don’t
initially find your Surname Project, try the variant spellings.
Once I've found a
project, how do I join?
You should be able to
click on the Project link and be routed to a surname site where you can
join. If the link is not working, go directly to the testing company site
and follow their instructions. If all else fails, contact Terry or Rich
and we’ll help you make the connection.
Does every family have
a project?
No, most families have
not started a Surname DNA Project. We provide World Families Network
to assist those who wish to start new
Surname DNA Projects.
What about alternate
spellings of my name?
Most Surname Projects
are very open to participants with alternate spellings. You should search
for variant spellings of your surname if you don’t find a Surname Project
for your surname.
What do I need to know
to set up a Surname DNA project?
Most Surname DNA
Project coordinators didn’t know a lot about DNA testing when they
started. They had an interest in furthering their research and were
willing to start their project and learn as they went. We have provided
advice on how to
start
and
run
a project at our World
Families Network site.
Which company should I
choose for testing?
It's completely your
choice. Family Tree DNA hosts more Surname DNA Projects than any other testing
company. World Families Network has chosen to partner with them
because of the value of their unique markers to our tests, their
extremely responsive customer service and the additional information and
services that come with the actual test.
How many markers
should we use?
Use as many markers as
your participants can afford. Generally, we recommend starting with
at least 25 markers as a trade-off between cost and information. (If
cost is a major issue, screening tests can be done with 12 marker tests.)
What kind of people
should I recruit?
You need a male
participant who either carries the Surname or one who is believed to be
paternally descended from a man who carried the surname.
When you are
establishing your project, the most important participants will be those
who can trace their ancestry back to the early ancestors of your surname
who are of specific interest to researchers. It is also helpful if the
early participants can trace their ancestry into a well-documented family.
Researchers who are
enthusiastic about researching your surname through DNA testing can be
very helpful in recruiting and in convincing the doubters of the value of
DNA testing.
How do I find these
people?
Use every possible
method of contact that you can imagine. Typically, some are found through
word of mouth, some are found through Surname Forums and Discussion Pages,
some are found through Family History societies and some are found through
luck. If you know old-timers who have a network of fellow researchers who
still communicate by snail mail and phone, you have a potential source
into many families in your surname, as these researchers usually keep a
list of contacts who are a part of their line and a list of those who are
not a part of their line. The more different channels of communication
that you can open to find and recruit participants, the more likely you
are to be successful in finding them.
How do I convince them
to get tested?
This can be a
challenge. Some folks are willing to participate, but can’t (or won’t pay
the cost). In these cases, you can encourage the family to collectively
pool the cost of the test for one representative. These situations are
ones where the 12 marker tests are particularly useful, as $100 is easier
to raise than $150, $190, or $270.
Some folks don’t
understand the value of the testing. Hopefully, you can learn enough from
these FAQs and other information to persuade them. Some coordinators have
shared their challenges on the
Genealogy-DNA-L list and gotten help from experienced coordinators.
Some folks fear that
the test will somehow invade or compromise their privacy. Again,
hopefully, you can learn enough from these FAQs and other information to
persuade them.
If you aren’t able to
convince someone to participate, don’t give up. (and don’t offend them,
as they could become an ally later) One possibility is that they might
refer you to another family member who is more receptive. You may also
find a way to answer their concerns and discuss with them again another
time.
Some projects create
“sponsorships” to help pay the cost of testing in specific situations.
How difficult is it to
coordinate a Surname DNA project?
The difficulty
increases with the size and complexity of the project. A coordinator
needs to be comfortable in communicating with potential and actual
participants and should have a reasonable familiarity with traditional
genealogy. Most coordinators will also need to be willing to learn more
about DNA testing to satisfy their own concerns, as well as those of their
participants. (and most coordinators didn’t know very much when they
started)
We recommend that most
Surname Projects start with a limited scope and related participants, or
those who are ‘hoped to be related”. The testing companies provide
varying levels of assistance to the coordinator, further reducing the
difficulty to a manageable level for most people.
What problems do
project coordinators usually run into?
Most coordinators
express frustration about finding as many and as varied a quantity of
participants as they need to meet their project goals.
On the
Genealogy-DNA-L list, we often hear from coordinators who need help in
interpreting results. Generally, that help is quick in coming.
How do I present my
results on the internet?
Each testing company
has a password-protected page for presenting the results of the Surname
Project. Family Tree DNA recently added a free-access page for their
projects. For some surname projects, this is sufficient. It is certainly
an easy way to start. Many Surname Projects present their results on a
dedicated site or on free pages that they arrange.
Why do I need a
website?
As projects become
more complex, the sites provided by the testing companies are no longer
adequate to present the desired level of detail. Some Coordinators also
wish to present more and more varied information than they can put on the
testing company site.
Why should I use your
website?
You should use our
website if you wish to provide genealogical information alongside your DNA
results and either don’t have the time or skills to create your own site.
We are supportive of
you creating your own site. If you will
Register it with us, we’ll list it with the Search results from our
Surname List Search Engine.
Why do you offer a
free website?
We started as the
Coordinators of a major Surname Project and built our Family’s Historical
Society website as a part of our work. We both have a strong interest in
genealogy and a belief that DNA testing can be a major help to
genealogical research. Rich has a business, which provides websites to
doctors, which gave us access to skills and resources. We also saw how
many Surname Projects either had no site or didn’t have the skills to
present their material in a clear and useful way.
Do I have to know much
about computers to make a website?
To use our Free 6 Page
Website, you need some skill in typing. You really don’t need to know
about computers.
I'm having trouble
with your free website creation tool - where do I go now?
If you are having
problems,
please
post
on our forums describing as clearly as possible the problems that you
are having.
Can you help me with
the website I've already created on my own?
Sorry, that is not
something that we are able to do.
Can I get my website
transferred to your page?
It is fine with us.
Hopefully, you can copy and paste into our Template and easily set up your
site at World Families Network. You will need to arrange to shut down
your old site. (it may be useful for you to keep it up for a period of
time, with a notice to visitors providing your new location)
Who are you people
anyway?
We are Richard Barton and
Terry Barton. See the
About Us section of our website for more information.
What experience do you
have with genealogy?
Richard and Terry are
both amateur genealogists who have committed significant time and energy
into their genealogy research. See the
About Us section of our website for more information.
Why did you create
this website?
We wanted to help
people start Surname DNA Projects and to give them the tools to be more
effective in running their projects.
Do you make any money
through this?
We hope to make
something one of these days, but that has not been our primary reason for
establishing World Families Network. We hope that our affiliate agreement
with Family Tree DNA will cover our costs
of operating this site and allow us to continue this work indefinitely.
What should I do if I
have an idea or suggestion?
We welcome your
ideas! Please
post
on our forums or send an email to Richard
Barton or
Terry Barton.
"This
information is for the private use of any genealogical researcher to
further their own knowledge. It is not to be reprinted in any form
without the written permission of the World Families Network."
Last Updated 16 May 2006
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Copyright © 2005 World
Families Network.
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Last Published: 07/30/2005 09:27:16
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