Wonder Researcher Review
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good research assignment. As a freelance writer, I often spend hours Googling information. But sometimes, the sheer volume of websites, facts, figures, and statistics available can be a little too much to take in.
Many times it leads to full blown information overload. You know what I’m talking about. You spend so much time on Google trying different search terms, visiting websites, and taking down notes that you forget which sites you’ve visited. You start questioning the direction you’re going in. You start finding conflicting information. You throw your hands up. Slam the laptop shut. And walk away. Yep. Information overload.
I always think, “Gee, it would be great if someone did the research for me and presented the thousands of bits of information into one condensed easy-to-read report.”
Well, guess what? There’s a service for that. It’s called Ask Wonder. And it also happens to be a great work from home job!
Can you Google with the best of them? Find factual information? Present it in an easily-digestible manner?
You may just be the perfect Wonder Researcher!
Curious? Me too! Check out this Wonder Researcher Review to find out what it is, what it takes to be one, and more importantly, how to start earning money from home as an online researcher!
What is Ask Wonder?
Ask Wonder is kind of like a human search engine. Instead of going to Google or Bing, you go to Ask Wonder and submit a query (or search term). The Wonder Researchers get to work on your behalf tracking down relevant info. The end result is a nicely written synopsis of rich insights. Neat, huh?
What’s it like to be a Wonder Researcher?
Wonder works on a crowdsourced platform. When a client has a research request, the assignment goes to a dashboard. The question pricing is also listed here for you to see. Researchers can see the questions and pricing and claim the ones they want.
The nice thing about the crowdsourced approach is that you can log in when you want and work. If you see an assignment that looks interesting, great, you can claim it. If not, no problem, you can always check back later!
What is the Wonder Researcher pay?
Researchers are paid per assignment. The amount varies based on a question’s complexity. So, some will be worth much more than others.
Remember, question prices are listed on the dashboard. You will how much you’ll be paid before starting an assignment. It’s up to you to decide whether a question is worth accepting based on its complexity and pay rate!
So, how much can I earn as a Wonder Researcher?
How much you earn depends on how many assignments you accept. According to Ask Wonder, their most active researchers can earn $2,000 or more a month!
You can login and check for work when it’s most convenient for you. The more you work, the more you’ll earn. On average, questions pay between $8 and $16.
Payments are made every two weeks through PayPal.
How do I apply?
Like what you’ve heard so far? Great! You can get started by filling out the Wonder Researcher Application.
The application process is a bit lengthy. There’s the standard basic information to fill out, plus a test.
Can you tell me more about the Wonder Researcher test?
Sure! The Wonder Researcher Application test is a sample research request. It is meant to give you an idea of the questions you might encounter if you become a Wonder Researcher. It also gives Ask Wonder a chance to see if you’d make a great Wonder Researcher!
It’s tough. Whether your application is approved will be based on how well you perform on this sample research request.
The QA team is looking for the best of the best. So, if you really want to become a Wonder Researcher, you need to do give the trial assignment your absolute all!
Do you have any advice on how to nail my Wonder Researcher trial assignment?
You know I do!
For any Ask Wonder assignment (the trial question included) you will need to locate the five best links that answer the question. To do this well, you need to follow a set of guidelines.
As part of the Wonder Researcher Application, you will be given a rubric. Read it. And then read it again. (It’s only one page). Your trial assignment will be graded on how well you follow the guidelines in the rubric.
After you’ve read the rubric, keep these things in mind:
- Google is your friend. Use it to the best of your ability, but don’t just rely on the first results. Dig deeper!
- Do not use sources from Wikipedia, Quora, Ask, or any similar sites
- Wow them with your writing skills in the overview and link titles you create
- Think about the question from several angles
- Select links that, when combined, provide the most complete and up-to-date answer to the question
That’s it. Take your time with the trial assignment.
What else should I know about being a Wonder Researcher?
This is a flexible opportunity. You can work anytime and from anywhere!
The only states Wonder cannot hire in are:
- Massachusetts
- California
- New York
Being a Wonder Researcher requires excellent writing skills. If you’re not into writing, this probably isn’t for you. After you complete your research, you will have to write an overview. You will also write custom link titles. These titles will need to convey in a sentence what the link is about.
Ask Wonder provides plenty of resources to make sure their Researchers are successful. Use them! These resources are also available as part of the Wonder Researcher Application process. Make sure you read all of them. They will only help your chances of getting hired!
[divider]
Want to find out everything you possibly can about being a Wonder Researcher before applying? I understand. I’m the same way. Here’s some other helpful articles I’ve rounded up for you!
A Search Engine Fueled by Research Experts by Emerging EdTech
Wonder: Your Own Personal Research Assistant by JordanVH
How to Make Money Online Doing Research by Real Ways to Earn Money Online
Hi, I was recently chosen to be a wonder researcher. I had a bad experience which I want to share.
I was very exited to be chosen to be a researcher at wonder since it seemed like a great opportunity. however the way the company works is quite frankly a little disturbing…
The sample question I was given was simple enough, I researched and provided the answer it apparently was good enough for wonder so they offered me a position.
after reading through their standards and practices I moved on to my first real question where I attempted to answer the client with whatever information was available through the net.
Each time I attempted to provide an answer my response was rejected with vague notes like
“However, the response does not reach the level expected from Wonder clients. Please continue to develop your response” there was no-one to tell me what I did wrong and each time I resubmitted the question with extensive editing I received the same type of vapid response that didnt help me improve my answers at all.
I tried very hard to provide a good answers, following their guidelines, modelling my answers after some of their own, whatever I did wasn’t good enough for wonder.
In the wonder training guidelines they say “Note for new researchers: Don’t be discouraged if your first few searches come back needing revisions; it’s all a part of the learning process and in a week or so you’ll be so good you’ll be hitting your research out of the park nearly every time.”
THEY TERMINATED MY CONTRACT AFTER I HAD RESPONDED TO ONLY 5 QUESTIONS. I had been a researcher for three days when they decided I wasn’t good enough without giving me any reasonable feedback and for giving HONEST answers to clients. if there is no information available on a subject there simply int information no matter how long you google search.
to make matters worse, in every case my research is now being used by other wonder researchers I worked for over 10 total hours studying their guidelines, writing and revising research. they have used my work for profit and I was not paid a cent.
basically I feel exploited by this company as it seems they have no commitment towards training new researchers.
does anyboyd know if they hire international? Peru?
I appreciate your honesty. Just did the first research question today and it seems to be stacking up the same way. I will stay active long enough to see what an acceptable response to the question contains.
Thanks
I Hey Eric – thanks for your comments. I just had the same experience today. I did hours of research and they kept rejecting my findings. I can’t wait to see what the researcher who has an accepted response to the question I worked on has to say. I’ll stay active with them as long as that takes.
Greetings.
All comments listed on this thread discussing Wonder Researcher positions are helpful. It’s pretty cool posters are so generous.
But at the same time, I have a question I’m hoping someone will answer. See, I’m still at the intelligence-gathering stage most take on before deciding whether to give the test a go.
So my question is this: Since I can’t HTML code by rote, should I have my cheat-sheet ready to go when write my link titles? Or does Wonder use a proprietary upload system where you can just plug in your words between coding symbols?
I know, I know. I should have learned how to create simple tags by now — especially headers.(Jeesh!) But I am an old-school print news guy that’s thus far resisted.
Thanks
Hi Anon,
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your Wonder experience — it definitely sounds like quite the learning curve when just getting started! I’ve read in several reviews on different sites that this seems to be the case and that, once you get going and learn their system, it’s much easier to reach that $2,000/month mark. Plus, as you mentioned, this is would be a great addition to any resume as it demonstrates both your writing and research chops — two in-demand skills across a number of industries.
Best of luck to you — I hope you find much success 🙂
Happily,
Ashlee
I was wondering if anyone has an experience with their researcher application being pending for weeks with no feedback. I’ve sent an email to their contact email address, but still no response. Thoughts? Anyone with similar experiences?
Mr. Eric,
If in fact they used your material as research to answer an question even though you personally are providing an answer and as long as you provide reference bibliography the company is committing plagiarism. This is a criminal offense and the company should be reported to the Better Business Bureau. I would suggest if any of you have had an experience like Eric you submit the same complaint. Even if the company “Wonder” is not a member of the Better Business Bureau they must respond of face consequences.
I’m laughing a little here, reading comments and complaints from people who have had their work rejected by Wonder. In some of these comments, there are misspelled words, poor usage of punctuation marks, run-on sentences, and capitalization mistakes. I “wonder” why their work was rejected.
What about taxes?
Hi Mary,
Thanks for stopping by! As a Wonder Researcher, you are an independent contractor, which means taxes will not be withheld from your earnings. If you make more than $600 in a year as an independent contractor, you’ll receive a 1099 at the end of the year. You will use this to report your earnings to the government and pay any taxes owed on money earned.
It can sound a little intimidating, I know. But it’s really not difficult to pay taxes as an independent contractor. Thanks to programs like Turbotax and Quickbooks, you can easily keep track of your earnings so tax time is a breeze 🙂
Happily,
Ashlee
Did I read correctly that if Wonder sends your submission back for a rewrite, you only have 30 minutes to reclaim it or you lose it? What if you’re not at home when you get the email?
İ would start working on this website but i have no idea how
Thank you, Ashlee, for this review, and everyone else for the informative comments below it.
Has anyone got any more recent reviews/updates on what it’s like working for them?