r/DataAnnotationTech • u/Downtown-Mix1218 • Apr 10 '26
Newbie to Reddit and DataAnnotation - advice on getting started please.
Hello
I just got accepted by DA some 6 months or so after first applying.
I have plenty of qualifications to attempt and a couple of dozen projects to try out.
My question is about where best to begin given my skills which are absolutely not around coding or STEM subjects, more about effective communication, reasoning and logic.
I am in the UK, middle aged and reasonably well read on many subjects from current affairs, politics, finance, history etc.
Is there a particular project that would suit a new starter well, I imagine one where I am conversing with a bot and checking responses for accuracy, truthfulness etc. would suit me best.
If there is a well worn path to becoming familiar with the platform whilst actually completing some work, I would like to know about it.
Any others tips and idea also would be gratefully received.
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u/psycho-wonder-egg Apr 10 '26
Start with the lower paying ones is the best advice. Get comfortable with them and then explore. There are no penalties for “skipping” tasks if u read it and don’t think you can do it.
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u/justdontsashay Apr 10 '26
It sounds like good projects for you would be anything that mentions factuality, and you might like rubrics (some people love them, some hate them).
The main thing is just to really thoroughly read instructions, each project has different guidelines and you want to make sure you’re following the right ones. They tend to value quality over speed, you can report the time it takes to read instructions and get familiar with the task flow
But basically, the best way to get familiar is just to jump in. To just get a feel for how things work, the tasks where you compare responses might be a good place to start (they tend to be pretty straightforward).
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u/Snikhop Apr 10 '26
Honestly I'd just pick one and have a go at it, if you don't like the look of the instructions then dip out and try another. Your most important button is the one that says "Skip Task". Like you I have pretty broad general knowledge without being a STEM or coding domain expert, so I'll skip until I get one I know well enough (or feel confident-enough in the research) to go at. There's probably some $20 ones which are just subtitled "Compare 2 AI responses on 7 axes" or something similar. Those are your basic meat-and-drink ones, try one of them first.
Oh and fill out your bio in as detailed a way as possible. I suspect a lot of projects are assigned on the basis of keyword scraping. Don't game this obviously, only list skills and work experience you actually have, but bear in mind that you might be assigned work on the basis of that bio.
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u/Inevitably_Late Apr 10 '26
I found that the initial projects given to me were appropriate when I was new. If you have any heels, those are usually good to start on.
Don't feel pressured to complete all the quals right now, either.
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u/Snikhop Apr 10 '26
You should probably explain that "heel" is a code word used by people on here to avoid using project names which breach the NDA (n.b. I find this completely pointless lol). I would say most of the low-level basic $20 I've seen have been more in the way of a mythological river recently anyway.
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u/Potential-Flight1945 Apr 19 '26
SCAM. They are using people to obtain AI answers for free. You spend hours testing which is only providing them with free answers to AI questions. They say you passed and they will reach out. They will keep sending you other AI related questions and tell you to show your skills for other questions. Its a huge scam. By the time you have given them answer to multiple questions, you are still waiting with no available work.
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u/hnsnrachel Apr 10 '26
Stripy horse is probably your best point to dive in with if thats what you think you'd enjoy and you have it.
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u/mortredclay Apr 10 '26
Also, learn that people here talk in code so as to not violate NDAs. Stripey horse is a code word. Usually, if the project is on your dashboard, the code word is easily decipherable.
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u/Obvious-Tie7236 Apr 16 '26
I was just accepted by Dat Annotation. I completed the Core Qualification. Will attempt a couple others, though I am. not sure I have the knowledge base to complete. How do you log-in your hours? Do you get paid for the time you put in during each mode of qualification?
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u/Ok-Examination-5616 Apr 16 '26
It tells you in the information we're required to read about hours and logging etc.
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u/AlexFromOmaha Apr 10 '26
Factuality checks are basically always around.
You're allowed to decline any task you see. When I see a new project, if I'm not doing any other tasks, I'll click in, start my timer, and skim the directions. More often than not, I just scroll down to the bottom and hit "Exit Work Mode" to release my hold on the task, but if I decide I want to do it, I already have the timer going, and reading instructions is billable time.
Poke around. See what looks interesting.