Membership

Definition

The "members" of the project are those who volunteer their data to it.  They are typically people who have had their DNA tested by Familytree DNA.
Once they use the FTDNA project joining mechanism, their data is normally published using the standard FTDNA publication system at their site:
Members can leave the project but they should be aware that as their data has been openly published, it is possible that copies of data will persist elsewhere even if it is no longer available above.  Indeed, if your data is available through another published project it may also be encorporated into 3rd party analysis.

Grading

If the analysis of this data is to mean anything, the data itself must be of high quality. To that end, the project has traditionally refused membership to those who do not have a proven East Anglian heritage along their purely paternal (Y-DNA) and/or maternal (mtDNA)  lines, i.e. the two outer edges of a family tree. However, this threshold of proof may represent a hurdle to those who have good reason to suspect an EA heritage but who cannot demonstrate it, perhaps through lack of resources or where records do not exist. Their data may be useful nonetheless as long as it is identified as speculative. There is also a third category for those who have significant genetic matches to those who have proven links, but otherwise have no demonstrable links to the region.
  • Class 1 - Reliable documented ancestral birth/baptism in East Anglia along Y-DNA or mtDNA lineage.
  • Class 2 - Speculative link, those who have reason to suspect a link but cannot clearly prove it.
  • Class 3 - As Class 2 but where there is a significant genetic match to Class 1 members.

Joining

  • If you have already tested via FTDNA, go to this project's  join request page and follow the instructions there.
  • If you have tested via another testing company, then you will need to e-mail your results to the project administrators. If you want to be in Class 1  you will also need to supply traditional genealogical source references that support ancestral origins in East Anglia, e.g. census records, vital records, immigration records, etc. Please don't bluff it as you will corrupt the data.
  • If you have never tested before it is recommended that you test via FTDNA.  Please note that the genetic tests are self-funded - you pay for your own test.  If you are male, you should try to find a surname project that caters for your surname and join via that route if possible. The surname project admin may be able to advise you on the optimal test to take based on estimated haplogroup, if possible. In general 37 markers is a useful entry point but 12 is better than nothing at all. You can then join this project as above. If you are female you should  join via the request page as above and pick the mtDNAPlus test.
Please remember that men can take the Y-DNA and mtDNA tests. Women do not have Y-chromosomes so they can only take the mtDNA test.  You should only take tests that you can afford. It is usually possible to upgrade from lower tests to higher tests at a later date although this might cost more in the long-run.