The following instructions provide a guide for newcomers to the UNL^web. 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 UNL^arium and gaining UNL^dots.

1. Create an account

The first step to join the UNL^web 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 UNL^web newsletter and are given the permission to post in the UNL Open Forum and in the UNL^wiki. But you don't have to be a registered user to browse the data  of the UNL^web. The resources of the UNL^web are available even to non-registered users, who may browse the system using a guest account.

2. Pursue the necessary certificates

All the projects within the UNL^web require some certification. Certificates are issued electronically by VALERIE, the VirtuAl Learning EnvIronmEnt for UNL, which is available at www.unlweb.net/valerie. There are two main certificates:

• CLEA (Certificate of Language Engineering Aptitude) is required for working with dictionaries and grammars:
  • CLEA²⁵⁰ is required for working with UNL>NL dictionaries (in projects such as MIR)
  • CLEA⁷⁵⁰ is required for working with NL>UNL dictionaries (in projects such as NADIA and BRUNO)
  • CLEA¹⁰⁰⁰ is required for working with grammar
• CUP (Certificate of Proficiency in UNL) is required for working with corpora:
  • CUP⁵⁰⁰ is required for working with UNL>NL corpora (in projects such as UGO)
  • CUP¹⁰⁰⁰ is required for working NL>UNL corpora (in project such as CORNELIA)

3. Join a project

All the work with dictionaries and corpora is done within projects. In order to be able to work in a given project, you have first to join the project. The list of projects is available at UNLWEB>Projects. There are several different types of projects: dictionary (MIR, NADIA, BRUNO, etc.), corpus (UGO, CORNELIA, IGLU, etc.) and memory. Projects can be open to any participant (with the corresponding certification) or closed (where participation is subject to approval by the project manager). Some projects are funded (i.e., participants get UNL^dots and UNL^creds) and some projects are non-funded (i.e., participants get UNL^dots but not UNL^creds). Note that funding depends on the language.

In order to join a project, go to UNLWEB>Projects, select the project you want to join, and press the button "join" (the rightmost on the top menu).

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. This 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.

As a trainee, you can only create assignments up to 50 entries; after being promoted to the author level (which happens automatically when you achieve 5,000 UNL^dots), you will be able to create assignments of up to 250 entries. Assignments from trainees and authors are reviewed before being approved. The revision process takes up to 5 working days. Any user may have one single assignment open at the same time, and users may only reopen the assignments (in order to correct problems) during the current month. In case our reviewers detect any problem with any of your assignments, your account is blocked and you will not be able to create any new assignments before correcting the problems.

In order to create an assignment, go to UNLWEB>Assignments and fill in the corresponding form.

5. Create entries

The entries that you have reserved are addressed in the UNL^arium (at UNLARIUM>Home). Each project involves a specific action:

• UNL-NL (Generation) Dictionary: you have to map UW's into your natural language (project MIR, for instance)
• NL-UNL (Analysis) Dictionary: you have to map natural language entries into UW's (project BRUNO, for instance)
• NL Dictionary: you have to analyze natural language entries (project NADIA, for instance)
• UNL-NL (Generation) Corpus: you have to map UNL graphs into natural language sentences (project UGO, for instance)
• NL-UNL (Analysis) Corpus: you have to map natural language sentences into UNL (project CORNELIA, for instance)
• and so on.

Note that each entry created inside the UNL^arium is double-checked. This means that there are three different types of action: to create entries, to verify entries and to review entries. Verification projects are open only to editors; revision projects are open only to reviewers. In this verification/revision process, your work is evaluated and you will be blocked or promoted depending on your performance. That's why it is very important for you to always ask for further instructions whenever you face a problem. Inside each assignment, you will have the option to postpone an entry (while you wait for the instruction) or to decline it.

For each new entry created, you will get 1 (one) UNL^dot. If the entry is done within a funded project, this UNL^dot is also a UNL^cred, i.e., a paid entry.

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 current month. 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

In principle, users may work only with their own native language, but you may ask for a language extension, either by providing an international acknowledged language proficiency certificate (C2 level required), or by writing a message to the UNL^web ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) detailing your experience with the language that you intend to add to your profile. The message must be written in the intended language, and will be evaluated by other native speakers.