Last Updated: March 18, 2024
To make use of your data annotation skills, the word Data Annotation Tech might have crossed your path while looking for annotation jobs at good pay rates.
But you might be concerned about its legitimacy and reliability as such good pay rates often result in scams and other potential issues.
So before deciding to join DAT, let me unveil if it’s legit and what are the issues annotators face while working on this platform.
Let’s delve into it.
Is Data Annotation Tech Legit?
Data Annotation Tech is undoubtedly a legit platform as thousands of annotators earn a significant amount of money by performing a wide range of legitimate data annotation tasks.
Moreover, Data Annotation Tech makes payments to its annotators through a secure payment method, that is, via PayPal.
But wait a little!
Although Data Annotation Tech is legit, you should take into consideration the following 3 main things before deciding to work on this platform:
1. Uncertainty In Project Assignment
Before Data Annotation Tech assigns you paid projects to work on, you have to first pass its starter assessment test.
Once you pass this test, it will give you access to projects according to your skills, experience, or other qualifications that will become available in your dashboard.
But here you should keep in mind that there is no guarantee you’ll get a job (or project) even after successfully passing the assessment test.
Moreover, it’s also not sure when the projects will be assigned to you as some annotators have got the first project(s) after just a few days of starting the test while some have waited for months.
What further adds to uncertainty is that when Data Annotation Tech rejects you after passing the test, it doesn’t notify you about this.
So if you’re not assigned a task after the starter assessment test, waiting indefinitely for project assignments and the uncertainty of your acceptance or rejection by Data Annotation Tech might leave you frustrated.
2. Termination And Project Disappearance
One of the major issues annotators report is that the projects in their dashboards are sometimes removed by Data Annotation Tech with no stated reason.
It’s possible that projects in the dashboards disappear because there are many annotators performing tasks in the same project. So once all the tasks are done, the same project is removed from all the dashboards of annotators.
But what is disgusting for those annotators is that their Slack accounts are also deactivated which makes them unable to contact DAT about the projects being disappeared.
Besides, there are also some cases where annotators are outright fired by the platform without giving them a reason for termination or giving them a chance or feedback to address any shortcomings in their work.
Among those were annotators who upgraded their reputation and improved their pay rate after diligently working on DAT for a very long time, investing time and effort to complete various projects.
After being fired by DAT, some of them were unable to log back into their accounts so that they could withdraw the money they earned through working on various projects.
So, while it’s true that this doesn’t happen to the majority of its annotators, terminating some annotators without giving them a chance or feedback and then blocking their accounts creates a sense of insecurity and vulnerability among other annotators of Data Annotation Tech.
3. Irresponsible Customer Support
After carrying complaints to Data Annotation Tech, getting a response from its customer support is a very challenging task due to its poor customer service.
Customers are left with no helping hands when they’re fired, barred from access to projects and their accounts, or face any other issues because it’s nearly impossible to resolve issues with DAT.
Therefore, if you encounter a problem on DAT, it’s not sure that its customer support will resolve it.
That’s it!
So these are the 3 main things you should consider before using Data Annotation Tech for annotation tasks.
So Should You Work On Data Annotation Tech?
In the end, it mostly comes down to your personal preferences whether you work on Data Annotation Tech or try other alternatives.
But if you’re worried about working on this platform because of the risk of being terminated, I would say that the cases of termination occur very rarely.
Thousands of annotators have been working on the platform for a very long time and are earning a significant amount of money without having faced any issues.
Moreover, it’s not always the fault of DAT that annotators are fired but they don’t comply with the given instructions and consistently commit blunders while performing their tasks.
Regarding the disappearance of projects, as I mentioned above the projects usually vanish because all the tasks in the project are completed by other annotators.
But if the projects on your dashboard disappear by fault, it’s not a major issue as DAT gives you the opportunity to get more projects after completing the qualification tasks.
Therefore, if DAT offers projects related to your skills, I would recommend working on it as you can earn a significant amount due to its good pay rate.
But I still don’t recommend working on DAT as the only source of income but rather using it as a source of side income.
This is because the availability of projects on the platform can fluctuate at any time and there’s a risk of termination (though minimal) if your work fails to meet DAT’s standards at any point.
Now, to know how to pass the starter assessment test, get major projects, and minimize the risk of being terminated, you should follow the below 8 tips.
8 Tips to Follow While Working On Data Annotation Tech
The first important one is:
1. Optimize Your Profile
Your profile on Data Annotation Tech serves as your digital resume, showcasing your skills, experience, and reliability to the platform.
Making sure your profile is well-crafted and complete can significantly enhance your chances of getting projects after the assessment test.
Therefore, add the languages you know and the skills you have as well as describe your skills and background comprehensively to qualify for getting projects.
2. Be Prepared For Test Questions
In the starter assessment test, you’ll be asked questions in different categories like hate speech, book recommendation, google search, creative writing, chat board response, and your education and work background.
So before taking the test, you should have a solid understanding of these concepts so that you can clearly answer the questions when taking the test.
3. Read Carefully The Project Instructions
The purpose of providing you with the instructions is to perform tasks according to what they want and ensure you know exactly what’s expected of you.
Skipping or misunderstanding instructions given to you while performing a task can lead to mistakes and may affect your work quality.
If your task isn’t as per the given instructions, all your efforts will go in vain as it’s not about how much effort you excel and time you spend in performing a task but what matters is how well your work adheres to the given instructions.
Therefore, when performing tasks on Data Annotation Tech, you should read and follow the given instructions carefully.
4. Enter The Report Time Accurately
When you finish a task, you need to report how long it took you to complete it so that the platform keeps track of your work and ensures you’re paid as per the time you’ve spent.
Make sure you enter this time accurately and honestly because if you overstate your time, it will result in termination from the platform.
5. Make Use Of The Resources Provided
The platform sometimes provides resources such as tutorials, guides or other materials to help you understand how to do your tasks better.
You should take advantage of these materials to improve your skills and understanding of the tasks.
6. Complete Qualification Tasks For More Projects
You have to first complete some qualification tasks before accessing a larger project on Data Annotation Tech.
This means you should complete these qualification tasks to show you’re capable of doing tasks in that project.
So to increase your earning and pay rate and upgrade your reputation as an annotator, you should complete these qualification tasks.
7. Clear Your Confusion
If you’re unsure about something while performing a task, you should immediately ask the project admins or other annotators working on the same task in the chat box.
It’s advised to not proceed further with your task if you have any confusion as it’s preferable to skip the task rather than perform it inaccurately.
8. Being Punctual In Performing Tasks
Remember that tasks on your dashboard are available for a limited period. So when you’re given tasks, try to start them as soon as possible.
Moreover, when performing a task, a timer is set that shows you that the task will expire once the time runs out.
Therefore, you should be punctual in starting and completing the tasks before they expire as missing out on tasks and not completing them within the deadline will have a bad impact on your career as an annotator.
Here you’re!
So these are 8 main tips you should follow while working on Data Annotation Tech.
Conclusion
So yes, Data Annotation Tech is legit as it offers legitimate annotation tasks to thousands of annotators and transfers payments via PayPal, a secure payment method.
However, you should consider the following things before using it for data annotations such as:
- It’s not guaranteed you’ll get projects even after passing the starter assessment test and DAT doesn’t notify you if you’re not qualified for projects.
- Some annotators report that projects disappear from their dashboards and then their Slack accounts are deactivated.
- There’s a risk of being terminated by the platform if your work doesn’t satisfy them at any point.
- If you face an issue, it’s not sure that the customer support of DAT will sort it out due to its poor customer service.
Besides keeping in mind these things, you should follow the above-mentioned 8 tips while working on Data Annotation Tech.
So this was all about the legitimacy of Data Annotation Tech and some common concerns raised by its annotators.
If you still have any questions or want to add your personal experience with DAT, feel free to let me know in the comment section below.