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The following is a chapter from:
Trace Your Roots with DNA
by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak and Ann Turner
(reprinted with permission)
CREATE A WEB SITE
This is not an absolute requirement, but one feature all the largest DNA projects have in common is a Web site. And while creating site may require an investment of time, it can ultimately save you much more by allowing you to share everything once rather than a constant series of one-on-one communications. Having a strong Web site gives you an obvious place to direct board and list readers for more information. It allows you cover the basics of DNA testing, so you won't have to coach every would-be testee individually. It permits you to easily share results so participants don't have to rely solely on you for their information. It can extricate you from the middleman role by providing contact information for others involved (with their permission, naturally). And of course, it will help you attract more participants by building credibility and always being there when someone has a question. We'll consider the ingredients of an effective Web site and share some of our favorites in Chapter 10.
WHAT'S THE WIIFM?
If you're trying to recruit participants, it always helps to put yourself in their shoes to try to understand what they hope to derive from testing. Addressing the WIIFM - the "What's in it for me?" question - might lead to some creative ideas. For instance, many people have a family tale of being related to a famous person with their surname and would like to know if it's really true. If you can locate an appropriate relative of the famous individual (maybe you can't reach close relatives, but second, third, and more distant cousins may be accessible) and persuade them to join your study, others would then have a means to see if they truly do share a common ancestor with the famous person. Au example of this can be seen in David Roper's project focusing on Ben Franklin's DNA (www.roperld.com/FranklinBenDNA.htm), although we want to be quick to point out that David has long researched many Franklin lines.
As another example, many Irish genealogists are stymied in trying to ascertain where in Ireland their ancestors came from, so you could conceivably contact people with a given name still living in Ireland today and request that they participate. Once several agree, those of Irish descent from other countries might be more interested in getting tested in the hope of matching a present-day resident, thereby providing a hint of where they should focus their future research in Irish records. Even the prospect of a match would encourage some to participate.
To get the creative juices flowing, just ask yourself what you would hope to learn under ideal circumstances from participants in your own project. Figure out what your dream scenario is, and see if there are any steps you could take to improve the likelihood of it actually happening for you or anyone else in your study.
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North American office: P.O. Box 160, Carmine, TX 78932-0160 USA tel/fax: Toll free 866-7-DNA-DNA |
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