COMBS-COOMBS &c.
INTERNATIONAL DNA STUDY

Review the conditions for participating in our study.

If agreed, you will review the DNA test options on the same web page and make a selection. If this is your first time requesting a DNA test kit you may want to review the information at the DNA HERITAGE Web Site regarding the DNA test process AND privacy/security and DNA sample retention. Next, you will indicate if you accept or do not accept the Disclaimer conditions. If you accept, an order form from DNA Heritage will appear on the screen for completion so a test kit can be sent to you.

Next, you will indicate if you accept or do not accept the Disclaimer conditions. If you accept, an order form from DNA Heritage will appear on the screen for completion so a test kit can be sent to you.

Sign-up for a DNA Test Kit on-line through the portal we have provided at our website.

You will not be able to participate in the study by signing up with DNA Heritage outside of our web project since the genetic findings cannot be otherwise tracked and adequately interpreted for the purposes of our study. The approach we have selected also helps us maintain our status as a non-profit organization.

See the link at the end of this table to proceed.

• We have learned the 43 marker test is a very useful test compared to smaller sized marker tests. The 43 marker test has provided better information for determining relatedness among persons who have been tested. While some testing companies may provide larger numbered marker tests, we have found the 43 marker test is sufficient for our purposes and DO NOT encourage upgrading at this time. It is costly and we have not seen a sufficient rationale for any larger test at this point in time. We are looking into other forms of testing for studying haplogroups in our Study.
• Where and how long DNA samples can be maintained may depend on whether you think you may want to have the sample used for upgrading later on; and, given your circumstances, whether you feel the business is a good location or not for safekeeping of your sample.
• If you have been tested before, and would like to use test results from another genetic testing company, please contact the Project Administrator.

See how your DNA “genetic profile” compares to other profiles at our secure website.

Once you have submitted your test kit to DNA Heritage, our Project Administrator will keep track of who receives test kits, what is returned to the company for testing and then record the test results on a secure web page at our DNA study website. The status of the branch to be tested or being tested will be noted on our website, unless requested otherwise by the person being tested.

The specific test results will be organized, for viewing by those people tested, at a secure webpage within our study to see how their unique “genetic profile” compares with that of other persons tested and if their profile fits with a “lineage genetic profile” that has been identified. Each person tested will be identified by an ID# and be issued a password. This information is to be confidential and not given out to other researchers. Also, if you share your own “genetic profile” at other websites to find matches, please encourage any persons, you find with the COMBS-COOMBS &c. surname or who appear to be related, to participate in our project and study. Any researcher sharing the “genetic profile” of other researchers without their permission or knowledge, will no longer have access to the secure web site and may be no longer permitted to access the COMBS-COOMBS &c. Research Project & DNA Study. This also applies to “lineage genetic profile” data.

If a researcher should see DNA profile matches from outside of our project with those of other researchers on the secure website, please notify the Project Administrator. Depending on the circumstances, she can then inform the person in our study who has a similar “genetic profile” so they can decide if they would like to pursue this further. The Administrator can also attempt to involve the person with our project for the mutual benefit of all involved.

You may have unique test results and have concerns about inclusion of the information in the study. These concerns should be conveyed to the Project Administrator to determine if the data will or will not be included. One of the drawbacks can be a “non-paternal event”, in which a person originally thought to be related, is not. There may be findings, however, that do not validate research and are not due to a sensitive situation, but merely are a result of invalid research assumptions about the connectedness of relationships within lineages such as mistaken identity of persons in records.