The Scanlon/Scanlan Project is an effort to establish the origins (including variants) and to identify which family lines are most closely related.

1.  To identify which family branches are related to each other (those that have similar genetic signatures can be grouped together and can be considered to be related to each other              genetically

2.  To confirm paper-trail evidence and traditional genealogies

3.  To help focus further documentary research

4.  To identify the likely origin of each genetic family

5.  To help people with the surname in question establish to which genetic family they belong (and to piggyback onto established genealogies)

6.  To study the evolution of the surname from its earliest origins to its present day forms

7.  To document and publish the results along the way so that others can derive the maximum benefit from the project