Hints for the Project Administrator
 updated 25Feb2007

See also our Administrator Information page for more resources on project administration.

Surname DNA Projects can vary from a simple project including only a handful of carefully picked participants who are tested at one time to a wide-ranging project involving hundreds of participants from many countries who are tested over many years.  Whether the project is simple or complex, small or large, it requires an Administrator.  That person (or team) is responsible for identifying participants, coordinating arrangements and communicating results.  In the case of large or extended projects, we recommend that at least two people share the administration.  (However, that isn’t a hard and fast rule - the largest Surname Project that we know of is run by one man and it’s been going for years.)

Surname DNA Project Objectives vary from simple to comprehensive.  Examples:

  1. The Barton DNA Project is the first step in beginning to understand how Bartons everywhere are related.  Our goal is to identify every Barton family and find how they are genetically related.  

  2. The Hodges DNA Project has a goal to compile all known families by earliest ancestor, including contact info for researchers of the line, in order to help families find their branches and work together to find their common heritage,  It also seeks to identify and compile the separate families through DNA Testing

Picking a testing company is obviously important.  After reviewing the Testing Companies for a good while, World Families Network has elected to become a Preferred Provider for Family Tree DNA, Houston Texas. 

  1. Price.  Generally, prices have come down over time, but they are still high enough to be a barrier to participation.   Prices are cheaper for "Groups" at Family Tree DNA.  Test prices start as low as $99.  

    1. Family Tree DNA offers a group price of $149 (plus $2 - $4 postage) for their 25 marker test and a group price of $189 (plus $2 - $4 postage) for their 37 marker test.  (Their "individual test" prices are considerably higher, so go ahead and start a Group Project and work to get the additional participants over time)   FTDNA is the most widely used Surname testing company, which is an advantage when you are seeking matches.  Their service is considered outstanding by their customers.  Another advantage of using FTDNA is the ease of moving between their set of tests (12, 25, 37 & 67 markers).  They also estimate  your "Haplogroup"  (your genetic branch, dating to 1000s of years ago) and retain your sample for 25 years (which can allow future testing on family members after they have left this life.).

  2. Markers/Alleles.  Generally, the more markers/alleles reported, the more expensive the test.  [Some markers have two or more counts reported for them, such as DYS385a and DYS385b.  Other markers with multiple alleles are DYS459 (a&b), YCAII (a&b), DYS464 (a, b, c & d) and CDY (a&b).]   

    1. 12 alleles is typical of the lowest number of alleles tested.  This is an entry level test which can be useful  for screening men of a targeted Surname to see if they are a possible match.   (The tradeoff: a lower price for initial screening  vs. a higher total price, if the test is later upgraded to additional markers, plus a time delay in getting all the results.)  Generally, these tests are most effective in proving that a family representative does NOT match a specific family.    Family Tree DNA offers a 12 allele test for $99  (plus $2 - $4 postage) on a group project. 

    2. The moderate resolution 25 marker test is a good starting point for many researchers, which is $148 (plus $2 - $4 postage) 25 markers is basically the minimum number of alleles needed to confirm relationships.

    3. The high resolution 37 marker test is necessary any time you are seeking to confirm a common genetic heritage with someone of a differing surname and no intersecting paper trail and to provide discernment between branches of a family.   It is $189 (plus $2 - $4 postage).

    4. The newest standard offering is a very high resolution 67 marker at a "Group" rate of $269 (plus $2 - $4 postage).  These increased marker tests are most useful when comparing within a genetic family to identify the "branching" within  that genetic family.  

    5. FTDNA now offers even more markers, allowing an individual to test over 100 markers.  (these are available only as an upgrade.)  It is reasonable to expect even more markers will be offered in the future.

    6. Family Tree DNA and the other testing companies use some different markers, resulting in incomplete comparisons from one company to another.  Examples of the matching between testing companies:

  1. Family Tree DNA’s “25” has 16 markers in common with the tests that include 24 markers (26 alleles)

  2. Family Tree DNA’s “37” has 21 markers in common with the tests that include 24 markers (26 alleles)

  3. Family Tree DNA's "37" has 32 markers in common with the tests that include 43 alleles

    1. Differences in Marker mutations: There are differences in mutation rates at each marker.  The testing firms are reportedly working on new interpretations of this issue, with upgraded information expected soon.  Click here for an analysis on some of the markers 

  1. We based our decision on the following:  

    1. Customer service

    2. A larger internal database for comparison - which is not otherwise accessible

    3. More useful mutations in the markers unique to FTDNA

    4. The bundle of services that comes with the test

      1. The Haplogroup estimate

      2. The 25 year sample storage

      3. The FTDNATiP analysis

      4. The automated upload into Y-Search and Mitosearch

      5. The Sponsorship Program (called General Fund)

      6. The multiple Panel pricing allows buying in phases

      7. Unique solutions when needed

    5. FTDNA's overwhelming quantities of surname projects and project participants

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Recruiting participants is often one of the biggest challenges for a Project Administrator.  Some thoughts:

  1. Make personal contact with researchers you have met over the course of your traditional research.  Seek out the families that you weren’t related to, as well as those that are “known kin” and “believed to be kin”.  All three groups are important when conducting a Surname DNA Project.  The “most distant” “known kin” will help you best to define the DNA of your earliest ancestor.  You’ll likely want to take this opportunity to establish whether those “believed to be kin” are actually related or not.  And, the ones you previously concluded “weren’t kin” will help you define the other Families in the Surname if you choose to expand the test to all who carry the Surname (and it might turn out that those “aren’t kin” folks are related after all.).

  2. Encourage every researcher you work with to contact their own circle of researchers - and to make the same requests of them to participate and to contact their circle of researchers

  3. A male researcher can represent his own surname in the project, but a female researcher will need to arrange for a brother, father or cousin to represent her line.  A researcher working on a maternal line will have to find a male relative carrying the surname to represent the family.

  4. Utilize your Family Historical Society, Family Reunion, or other organization of your family name to help you find interest, participants and support.  (If necessary, start one)

  5. Allow the enthusiastic members of the greater surname family to help.  It’s likely that they will identify Family Lines and contacts that are unknown to you.  They may even choose to sponsor participants to get information on a Family that is of particular interest to them.

  6. Post notices on the Surname Boards and Forums such as GenForum.  There are some good ways and some bad ways to do this.   Lauren Boyd posted a message: "How to win friends and influence List Admins" on Genealogy-DNA-L that spells out appropriate ways to use the forums, boards & lists. 

  1. Use the new Surname Forums at WFN Forums or the  Family Tree DNA Forum .  It will be useful in providing updates to your participants and may help in your quest to reach more possible participants.   (Pick one Forum and concentrate all discussion)

Identifying the Appropriate Participants can be a challenge:

  • Considerations in choosing the right participants

    • You’ll eventually want at least two representatives from each Family Line, but testing often starts with only one.  (In this context, “Family Line” is a many generation family group, not the 2-3 generations we normally call our family.)

    • Typically, there hasn’t been a large advantage in having many participants from a single Family, but each additional result does add detail and confidence to the results.  (If you find mutations between the initial participants of a Family, additional testing to isolate where those mutation originally occurred can sometimes be useful.)

    • There is usually little advantage in getting a father and son, an uncle and nephew, brothers or first cousins to both be tested, as the probability is quite high that their results will be identical. 

    • Of course, if someone “insists” on being included, their participation should be welcomed, as there is always some value added by each participant.  We know of several cases where a cluster of related men provided special and unusual information.

  • Ideal Separation:  The “ideal” approach is to have descendants of two different sons of the earliest known ancestor to represent the Family.  If they have matching results, they establish the Haplotype of the earliest ancestor.  (For most of us, this is difficult-to-impossible, but do get as much “separation” between participants as possible.   The next best is descendants of two sons of one son of the earliest ancestor.  5th cousins are preferred over 4th cousins, 4th over 3rd, and so on.)

  • Targeting: Some projects target specific Families for testing.  Hopefully, there is a researcher known for each targeted family who can help identify and recruit the needed representatives for testing. Typical Targets include:

    • Families of the Project Coordinator or sponsoring organization

    • Families suspected to be related to the first Target List

    • Families who can trace their genealogy to the legendary home country or family seat

    • Families who can trace their genealogy back many centuries, possibly even to the time when surnames began common usage (typically, but not always,  11th to 13th centuries)

    • Families whose members include the famous and infamous

Arranging Testing.  Each testing company has a slightly different procedure for registering participants, collecting testing fees and reporting results.  For best results, get that information directly from the chosen testing firm. 

Family Tree DNA has a nice demo of their testing process: 

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Receiving and Analyzing Results.

Each Testing Company has a slightly different process for reporting the results, but all report the results by a coded participant test number and put the results by marker in a table.

The typical evaluation compares the results of two participants.  When the comparison is among three or more results that are not exact matches, the comparison will still be done on two participant’s results at a time.

In the simplest case, analyzing results can be a review of the number at each marker to confirm a perfect match (say  25/25).  However, in most cases, there will some matches and some mismatches.  Results are evaluated by counting the number of exact matches and the number of mismatches.  (If the mismatches are one number apart, they are considered a “one step” mutation.  If they are two numbers away, they are considered a “two step” mutation, etc.  Typically, a two step mutation is counted as two mismatches.  In these cases, contact the testing firm for guidance.)

Most researchers want to know if they are “related” to another person or family.  (Current genetic theories consider that all people are related at some point in the distant past, but most researchers are interested in the period after surnames came into use, or a maximum of about 900 years.)    (If your results are border-line for these guidelines and/or you don’t agree with these conclusions when evaluating your results against known family genealogies, contact us to discuss the specifics.)

For those who tested at 12 markers:

  1. Matches of less than 9/12 – the two participants do not share a common ancestor*

  2. Matches of 9/12 - there is a tiny chance  that the participants share a common ancestor.  You'll need to test at 37 markers to find a true shared genetic match that starts with such a low match.  (The author has not yet seen a 9/12 become an accepted genetic match)

  3. Matches of 10/12 – there is a small chance that the participants share a common ancestor.  Increase to 25 markers and re-evaluate

  4. Matches of 11/12 and 12/12 – there is an improved chance that the participants share a common ancestor.  Increase to 25 markers and re-evaluate

  5. CAUTION: a 12/12 match - even with the same surname - can be a random match.  If a solid paper trail connects the 12/12 match, you can be reasonably certain of shared ancestry, but without the connecting paper trail - you can only be sure by upgrading

For those who tested at 25 markers:

  1. Matches of less than 21/25 – the two participants do not share a common ancestor

  2. Matches of  21/25 & 22/25  – there is a small chance that the participants share a common ancestor.  Consider all of the traditional genealogy insights and try to obtain more participants to represent the affected families. Upgrade to 37 markers

  3. Matches of  23/25, 24/25 & 25/25  – there is a high probability that participants who share a surname share a common ancestor.  If there is no shared paper trail, a comparison at 37 or 67 markers can be useful

  4. You may also refer to the chart prepared by Family Tree DNA:  Click Here

For those who tested at 37 markers:

  1. Matches of less than 31/37 – the two participants do not share a common ancestor

  2. Matches of 31/37 and 32/37 - the two participants may share a common ancestor from the early days of surnames.  This is an area with little clear insight.  An upgrade to 67 markers is encouraged

  3. Matches of 33/37 - some researchers consider this to be a match and some don't.  Upgrade to 67 markers for additional clarity

  4. Matches of 34/37, 35/37, 36/37 & 37/37 - the participants share a recent common ancestor

  5. You may also refer to the chart prepared by Family Tree DNA:  Click Here

For those who tested at 67 markers:

  1. Matches of less than 60/67 – the two participants probably do not share a common ancestor.  This is still being studied

  2. Matches of 60/67 and 61/67  - the two participants may share a common ancestor from the early days of surnames.  This is still being studied

  3. Matches of 62/67 and better - researchers consider these to be a match

  4. You may also refer to the chart prepared by Family Tree DNA:  Click Here

*We mean a common direct paternal ancestor within the historical period of surnames."

Even when there is a single result or no match of results to those within a surname project, it is still possible to make a comparison.  There are several sites established for that purpose.  We recommend that you and all of your test participants register your results at these two sites.

Y-search                 Y-base           

 Understanding the scientific process can help you interpret your results.  It also helps your  credibility with your Project’s participants.  Rather than trying to put this in our own words, here is a site where one testing company describes the Science.  

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Reporting and Updating Results and Conclusions.   

Your testing company will provide you with a table of numbers for each of your test participants after the test is complete.  (FTDNA may report the results in batches, with only a portion of the results for an individual each time)  Some testing firms also send out the individual results to the test participant.  As the number of results increases, this can be very confusing.  

 1. We recommend that results be grouped with other similar results in a chart.  Because this has been a technical challenge for many, Results is one of the Pages in the Free 6 Page Website provided at World Families Network   

 2. We also recommend the following: 

  • Provide a listing of Surname Families, each listed by Earliest Known Ancestor

  • Arrange a “Line Leader” for each Family (or part of a family).  This person should be familiar with the family and agree to be the contact and coordinator of information on that family.  (A Patriarch Page is provided for this purpose by World Families Network for each Surname Project listed.)

  • Identify enough detail within a Family to identify the position in the family of each DNA test participant and identify each test participant by test number (or name, if they choose to disclose their identity)

  • The results be compiled into a Compiled Pedigree chart when possible. (A page to provide this service is in development at World Families Network)

Lineages, Haplotypes and MRCAs (Most Recent Common Ancestors)

  1. A glossary of terms is available at this link   

  2. A Lineage (or Haplogroup) is a group of Haplotypes, which are closely linked, but not identical.  Typically, the Haplotypes are a close, but not exact match, such as 23/25 or 24/25.

  3. A Haplotype is an exact set of markers, which is used to identify the DNA of one or more test participants.  When two participants are from the same documented genealogy, their results can define the DNA of their first common ancestor (Haplotype)

    1. If there is an exact match (such as 25/25) between the two participants, then a Haplotype has been established for their common ancestor and for all the intervening ancestors between the participants and the common ancestor.  This is an important concept and result, as it aids in understanding the genealogy of a Surname and can help in matching orphan lines to known genealogies.

    2. If there are mutations separating the two participants, then an exact Haplotype for their common ancestor has not been established.  In this case, additional testing may be able to determine where the mutation occurred and establish a Haplotype for the common ancestor and a related haplotype for each branch carrying the mutation.

    3. Until an individual has an exact match with another individual, the Haplotype applies only to him and not to any relatives.  Once a perfect match is identified, the Haplotype includes the two participants and all the direct ancestors of both participants to the common ancestor.

    4. Note that men from another Family of the Surname, who were not previously known to be related, may share the Haplotype found in a Family.  This indicates that they share a common ancestor who lived even earlier.   In this situation, the Haplotype extends through both participants to each one’s earliest known ancestor

    5. If the first round of data is inconclusive due to mutations, than additional Family representatives can be selected and tested to clarify the specific issue.

  4. MRCA is a term that is frequently used in y-chromosome testing. 

    1. The Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) is easy to visualize in a known family’s genealogy.   He is the ancestor where the two lines of descendants merge. Ironically, this is the situation where the MRCA analysis can be the most confusing.  MRCA uses the probabilities of Statistics.  If the analysis provides a median or 50% probability that is close to or the same as the same number of generations in the known family tree, the MRCA calculation is “reassuring.”  This is pretty unusual.  From a statistical vantage, anything within the 90% confidence interval should also be reassuring.  Much of the time, this will be true in known family trees, but there is a regular occurrence of mutations within a family which lay outside of the confidence interval.  For this reason, we  recommend against using MRCA calculations within a family tree.

    2. MRCA can be useful when trying to understand how long ago the common ancestor of two unrelated men (or Families) lived.  Again, caution is recommended, as the 90% confidence interval is often between 1-5 and 20-30 generations.  This is typically not very enlightening.  Use of the 50% probability as a specific answer can be very misleading.   For most Surname Projects, we recommend against the use of MRCA or its inclusion in the posted data.

    3. Comment: Our Barton DNA Project does not use the MRCA discussion with participants.  A significant number of Surname Project Coordinators are on record in discouraging the use of this concept with participants.  That said, we encourage a Coordinator to do what is best for their project.

    4. For those who want to include this information or to understand it better, here is a discussion.  

    Resources:  One of the best ways to learn how to run and improve your project is to see what other administrators are doing. 

Here are a few sites to help you get a more rounded view of the subject and how some Surname Projects present their results:.

Here are two of our DNA Project sites:

And here are Forums where you can find Discussions about Genealogy and DNA

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