The following instructions provide a guide for newcomers to the UNLweb. They answer the most frequently asked questions concerning how to start and what to do and indicate the basic steps for creating entries in the UNLarium and gaining UNLdots.
1. Create an account
The first step to join the UNLweb is the registration. Registration is open and free and does not oblige you to work in the programme. Registered users are automatically subscribed to the UNLweb newsletter and are given the permission to post in the UNL Open Forum and in the UNLwiki. But you don't have to be a registered user to browse the data of the UNLweb. The resources of the UNLweb are available even to non-registered users, who may browse the system using a guest account.
2. Pursue CLEA250
The UNLweb comprises several different profiles, ranging from observer to manager. The initial level is observer. As an observer, you have already access to several functionalities of the system, but you're not allowed to add or edit data and to gain UNLdots, which is the currency by which freelancers are remunerated and expertise is measured. In order to start adding data to the UNLweb, you have to be promoted to the trainee level, i.e., you have to be approved in CLEA250. CLEA is the acronym for Certificate of Language Engineering Aptitude, a certification given for free by VALERIE, the Virtual Learning Environment for UNL. CLEA250 comprises 250 questions about terminology of descriptive linguistics. It does not involve much specialisation, and is normally pursued in less than 3 hours. By the approval in CLEA250, you're automatically promoted to the trainee level and may start adding entries to the UNL-NL Dictionary.
3. Join a project
Dictionaries and grammars are available inside the UNLarium, which is one of the systems that integrate the UNLweb. The UNLarium is expected to be a linguist-friendly web-based integrated development environment for creating language resources. It contains three main divisions: dictionaries, grammars and corpora, and has been the cradle to most language data inside the UNL Programme. From the point of view of creating resources, the UNLarium is a corpus-driven environment, which means that you have to subscribe to a project in order to start adding data. You may join as many projects as you want, but you don't need to join projects if you plan only to browse or to export data. In order to join a project, you must have been approved in CLEA250.
4. Create an assignment
In order to start adding entries, you have to create an assignment. The assignment is actually only a reservation of entries to be treated. You may choose the part of speech and the number of entries (up to 250) to be reserved and the reservation is valid for 30 days. During this period, no one else will have access to these entries. After this period, the entries not addressed return to the main dictionary and become available to other users for reservation. You may close assignments at any time, and they're automatically closed on their deadline.
5. Create entries
The entries that you have reserved are automatically listed in your assignments page in the UNLarium. As a trainee, you will be able to create assignments only to provide entries for the UNL-NL Dictionary. The UNL-NL Dictionary is a bilingual lexical database, where UWs, the words of UNL, are mapped into natural language (NL) words. This is a very simple dictionary, and you'll be expected to provide only the basic information for each entry. The UNL-NL Dictionary is always UW-oriented, which means that you're not allowed to add the entries that you want. You'll have to translate the UWs proposed by the system and to classify them in your own native language. For each new entry created, you'll be credited 1 (one) UNLdot.
6. Close the assignment
After finishing the set of entries that you have reserved, you'll have to close the assignment. You may have only one open assignment at a time. You will be able to reopen closed assignments, but only those within the deadline. In any case, you'll have access only to the entries that you have created; the entries that you have postponed or declined will be already returned to the main dictionary.
7. Extending your permissions
Trainees may only create entries in the UNL-NL Dictionary in their own native language. You may extend these permissions in four different ways:
7.1. Extending languages
You may ask for a language extension, either by providing an international acknowledged language proficiency certificate, or by writing a message to the UNLweb ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) detailing your experience with the language you intend to add to your profile. The message must be written in the intended language, and will be evaluated by other native speakers.
7.2. Extending dictionaries
The UNLarium contains three types of dictionaries.The UNL-NL dictionary, which is the most simple one, where UWs are mapped into natural language words; the NL dictionary, which is a monolingual dictionary where natural language entries are further described (according to the morphological and syntactic behaviour); and the UNL dictionary, which is dictionary in UNL where UWs are treated and classified. CLEA250 grants permission to work only with the UNL-NL dictionary. In order to work with the NL dictionary, you'll have to be approved in CLEA450. In order to work with the UNL dictionary, you'll have to be approved in CUP500.
7.3. Extending actions
Trainees and authors may only create entries. But there are two other possible actions inside the UNLarium: verifying and revising entries. Verification is the first check, and is done by editors. Revision is the second check, and is done by revisers. Editors and revisers are defined according to the expertise, i.e., according to the number of UNLdots accumulated. Users become editors when they sum 30,000 UNLdots, and revisers after achieving 75,000 UNLdots.
7.4. Becoming a manager
If you own a PhD in Linguistics, you may apply directly to a manager account. Managers have special privileges, as creating projects and editing language settings.They are also authorized to create, verify and revise entries, independently of the score of UNLdots. In order to apply for a manager account, contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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