DNA Testing

If you are thinking about taking another DNA test (atDNA, Big Y, SNP test, etc), it is strongly recommended that you ask the administrator or the group writ large (through a project posting or email to the project administrator) for recommendations on which test is best for you (since genetic genealogy is an evolving field, there are many different opinions out there).  It is critically important that you make an informed decision on whether additional testing is right for you. Each person’s goals differ: some members find DNA testing invaluable to their genealogical research, while other members maybe disappointed with the test’s results (i.e., they are usually unclear how to use or leverage the test results and they eventually grow frustrated). Thus, it is important to take the time to conduct the proper research on the pro’s and con’s of genetic testing for genealogy.  Specifically for this surname project, we encourage atDNA and STR + SNP testing (for female members, it is recommended to ask a male relative who carries the Cosgrove (or variant) surname to take a Y-DNA test for you).