Project Administration
This project is sponsored by the McQuillan Clan Association. Both were started and are managed entirely by volunteers with a personal interest in McQuillan genealogy, who receive no commissions or payments from the project or from any commercial testing company.
Eligibility
Direct participation is open to any male who, by birth, bears one of the McQuillan project surnames. It is also open to a male who bears a different surname, for example, through adoption, but who is known or believed to be a direct biological male line descendant of a male "McQuillan."
Y-STR testing, the kind of test used in this study, unfortunately can only be performed using male test subjects. However, female McQuillans wishing to include their McQuillan lineage in the study are encouraged to join and participate indirectly in testing through recruiting or sponsoring a male line representative from their McQuillan lineage who can be tested on their behalf.
Requesting Admission to the Project
The "join project" page has a form that can be filled out and submitted online to simplify requesting admission to the project. You can also join directly through our project pages at those testing companies where we have registered our project.
Selecting the Testing Company
Direct participants will need to obtain Y-STR haplotype testing through one of several commercial companies which provide such tests. Our "join project" page and DNA links pages provide links to some of these firms and to independent comparisons of their products and prices. Since comparing and assessing the various testing choices available on the market is not straightforward, we have recommended specific testing options based on quality of service, competitive prices, and other factors. These recommended test options are described in detail on the "join project" page.
In some cases, we have made arrangements with such firms to provide our members with testing at deeply discounted prices. The "join project" page also has information about participating in an ongoing international DNA project conducted by the Sorenson Molecular Genetics Foundation, which can provide those unable to afford paid testing with a way to obtain their Y-DNA testing at no cost.
Most participants will choose one of the recommended options, as this is the easiest and usually the most economical way to arrange the needed testing. Participants considering using other firms or tests are strongly encouraged to first contact the project administrator before ordering, in order to ensure comparability with the testing already done by other McQuillans.
Those who have already had a Y-STR test through a commercial firm or through the National Geographic's Genographic Project need not retest in order to join this project. If this applies to you, fill in the details about your prior testing on the join project form and the project administrator will let you know how to provide documentation of your results for inclusion in the project.
Taking the Test
After selecting a testing company and test option, the participant follows that company's ordering and testing procedures. Testing procedures vary slightly but in all cases the testing itself is quite easy and painless. The participant will receive a test kit in the mail from the company. The sample collection procedure for the test will involve either rubbing the inside of the cheek with a swab, similar to an oversized Q-tip, or rinsing the mouth with a mouthwash solution for about a minute and spitting the rinse back into a specimen container. The sample is then sealed and returned to the testing company, which will complete the testing and report the results, usually within several weeks to a few months.
Pedigree Submission
Since this project analyzes DNA results in the context of the relevant genealogical information, participants are expected to provide as much genealogical information as possible about their McQuillan lineage. For some participants, this will involve submitting an extensive pedigree chart or a gedcom file reflecting the results of many years of genealogical research. For others, who have not researched their family history, little more than the applicant's own birth information and parentage may be known. There is no requirement that the information submitted be extensive, just that it be as accurate and complete as possible.
The McQuillan Clan Association is preparing McQuillan genealogy webpages and an extensive genealogy database to help both beginners and more experienced genealogists extend their McQuillan lines.
Reporting and Analysis of Results
The test results received will be in the form of a series of numbers associated with specific "markers." The markers used in this study are primarily of genealogical value, have no known medical use or interest, and do not disclose any personal information. For those joining the project through testing with a firm where we have registered our project, the results will automatically be forwarded to our project administrator. Those testing at other firms, or with prior testing, will need to send a copy of their results certificate to the project administrator.
The project will use the marker values to compare and analyze the genetic relationships between participating McQuillans and between McQuillans and other surnames, families, and lineages. By joining the project, participants agree that their DNA results can be identifiably disclosed to the project administrator and other project staff involved in such analysis.
The numeric marker results for each participant will be included in the project's online results tables, unless the participant chooses to opt out. A participant's marker values may also be specifically discussed in the project's written results analyses. Such results will be identified in tables and discussions only by an identification code. The participant's name, address, or other outside contact information will not be displayed. Unless the participant requests that the display of pedigree information be withheld or restricted, the ID code shown in the results tables will normally also be linked to the name, place of origin, and relevant dates of that participant's earliest non living male line ancestor, and to any further pedigree information about that ancestor's non living descendants.
The project administrator will have the authority to arrange for individual participants who have similar results or research interests to make contact with each other. We are now able to provide participants who want anonymous contact with individual project-based email addresses for project-related correspondence. These mailboxes can be checked online or privately configured to forward messages to another email address.
Other Ways to Help
In addition to direct participation in testing, interested parties are encouraged to help the project grow by identifying and recruiting new participants, or by volunteering to assist in project activities. If you have the time or inclination to assist with the project, please let us know. Whatever skills or suggestions you can offer will be appreciated.
There are, of course, some areas which would be particularly helpful. Technical assistance from individuals with experience in webpage design, database design and management, genetics or statistical analysis would be very useful. A volunteer who can assist in translation of some Irish language materials is also needed. We always welcome the assistance of those with an interest or background in historical research or genealogical records searching, especially those who live in geographic proximity to needed records or library resources that would otherwise be relatively inaccessible to the project.
Another way to assist is to help sponsor testing for a prospective participant who is unable to afford the full costs. Sponsors can place any reasonable conditions on their donations, for example, testing could be sponsored only for males of a particular McQuillan lineage or county of Irish origin, or for a specific family or individual. At present, donations can be made directly to a fund managed on our behalf by FTDNA. Donations to this fund can only be used for DNA testing through FTDNA and only our McQuillan Project Administrator can authorize its allocation. Individuals wishing to make a donation to the fund should inform the McQuillan DNA Project administrator of any restrictions they wish to place on its use.
< Back