Project Guidelines

The stated purpose and goal of the Winslow Family Y-DNA Project, is to perform Y-Chromosome DNA tests on a representative international group of males bearing the Winslow surname in an attempt to reliably establish the Winslow haplotypes and determine which of the Winslow lineages share a common ancestor. From this data, we will also be able to calculate the estimated time when the Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) occurred.

To accomplish this goal, the following recommended guidelines have been established.

The Winslow Family Y-DNA Project will be limited to males bearing the Winslow surname at birth.
Participants must, to the best of their knowledge, be descended from a line of males that is genetically unbroken for any known reason such as adoption, legal name change, or any other biological incidence.
Participants must provide a minimum of three primary sources (the participant, his father & his paternal grandfather) certified generations of paternal ancestors. More than three generations would provide for even better positioning of the surname haplotype.
Only Y-Chromosome DNA tests will be performed on the DNA samples submitted by the project participants.
The testing for this family project should be accomplished as a composite Winslow group, for the following reasons.

Each DNA test laboratory uses different groups of STR markers to establish a Y-Chromosome haplotype.

It has been concluded, to ensure consistency in results, that the same test laboratory should be used to perform all the sample testing that is used to assess family surname results for our group.

The testing laboratory is prepared to give the greatest discount on their pricing to groups that assemble and submit their DNA samples as a composite group. This minimizes the commercial handling of the samples and supports item "b" above.

As a result of the need for a coordinated group effort (see item 6 above), the project requires the services of a Project Coordinator.
I, Stephen Winslow, have volunteered to serve as the Winslow Family Y-DNA Project Coordinator.
Relative Genetics of Salt Lake City, Utah, has been selected as our test laboratory based on a combination of the following criteria.

Proven quality and reliability of services.

The laboratory's use of the most effective group of Y-chromosome STR marker systems for the genetic genealogy application.

Discounting of test costs based on group size.

Turn around time from date of submission of samples to availability of test results.

The actual negotiated laboratory test costs to the participants of the Winslow Family Y-DNA Project for the 26 Y-Chromosome marker DNA test is $155.00 USD. A DNA Sample Kit will be supplied by the Project Coordinator to each participant after they have submitted their "intent to participate" Registration Form and the minimum genealogical information.
The Y-Chromosome DNA Sample Kit will be composed of the following items.

An instruction sheet.

Three swabs.

One swab packaging envelope

A return envelope

The Y-Chromosome DNA test sample will be collected from all participants in the following manner.

Upon receipt of the DNA sample kit, via the standard postal service, each participant will collect his sample in the privacy of his own home.

Each participant, following the written instructions, will swab the inside of the right cheek of his mouth with one swab that is provided.

The swab will then be placed, without contamination, into the packaging envelope provided with the kit.

The participant will then swab the left cheek of his mouth with the second swab and place it also in the same envelope with the first swab.

The participant will then swab both left and right cheek of his mouth with the third swab and place it also in the same envelope with the first swab.

Seal the envelope containing your three swabs.

Following the sample collection process, each participant will do the following.

Send the sealed DNA sample, in the self addressed return envelope provided, via the postal service, to Relative Genetics, along with your personal check or international money order ($155.00 US Dollars, made payable to Relative Genetics - please do not send cash) to cover the cost of the sample analysis.

The turnaround time for the DNA analysis of your DNA sample could take as long as 2-4 weeks from the date of receipt of the samples by the test laboratory and the notification of the test results.
The "DNA Project Status Reports" section and the "News" section of this web site will be used to keep the list of Winslow Family Y-DNA Project participants informed on new developments and progress in each stage of the project.
Relative Genetics will provide each participant with a certificate of their personal DNA test results, at the conclusion of the test.
Remote as it may be, there is a recognized risk in participating in this type of project whereby the participant could possibly discover from the test results that he is not descended from the surname he expected, due to an unknown incidence of adoption, arbitrary name change, infidelity, etc. which occurred somewhere in his ancestry.
The composite results of the Winslow Family Y-DNA Project will be posted on this web site, at the page entitled "Results" with periodic updates. Each participant's specific surname spelling, "earliest known progenitor information" along with the STR marker values will be posted at this web site.

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