Asserting Expertise

A new feature on the internet is the concept of an online review. People take to the internet in order to preview a particular product in order to help their viewers make informed decisions, help eliminated risk in a purchase, and to ultimately bring attention to themselves. There are also possible benefits that come from the increase of online reviews because they have the potential to actually improve certain consumer products based on their reviews.

However, these reviews will only be taken seriously if the review has a certain level or credibility. There are two very important aspects of credibility; the first is trustworthiness. A person will be seen as credible if his audience sees him as honest and sincere. The other aspect of credibility is related to expertise. This is the degree to which a person is trained or qualified in order to review a particular product. There are many ways that a person could gain expertise. For example, they could use specialized terminology related to a certain field of academia in order to portray themselves as a part of the field or at least very informed about it. It is important for a reviewer to assert his expertise when reviewing a product in order to let his viewers know his lack or strength of knowledge up front. It can actually be helpful to reveal that you do not have a great deal of knowledge on a subject because viewers highly regard honesty, and that honesty could create credibility for the reviewer.

The author of this piece describes three ways in order for a reviewer to assert his expertise:

1. Assertions of Product-Specific Expertise

This type of assertion tells the viewer that the reviewer has personal experience with the specific product. The reviewer has used the product and has tested if for a considerable amount of time in order to become very familiar with it. This type of assertion is also referred to as "opinion quality," because the reviewer is basing his review of the product based on his own opinions. It is helpful for the reviewer to explicitly state his experience with the product in the beginning in order to give the viewer some idea of the reviewer's familiarity with the specific product. The more interaction a person has had with the product increases his qualifications to be able to review the product.

2. Assertions of Familiarity with Related and Relevant Products

This type of assertion conveys the message that the reviewer is very familiar with the product itself, and other products that are similar. These could be former models of the product, or similar products made by other companies. The reviewer has enough information to show the viewers how the product has changed or improved overtime. This type of assertion also allows the reviewer to conduct an accurate comparison of several products to the specific product that is being reviewed. The depth of familiarity that the reviewer has in the particular genre creates an established expertise.

3. Assertions of a Relevant Role

This final form of assertion determines the dimension of qualifications in regard to the reviewer. For example, the reviewer could assert that he is a hobbyist, student, or professional in regards to the product. The role in which the reviewer is related to the product can have an effect on the viewer's interpretation of the review. There is also the idea that the reviewer can focus on his relation to someone who has relevant expertise, rather than focusing on his own. This practice is referred to as assertion of secondhand expertise. By associating himself with someone who is highly qualified, the reviewer can establish credibility for himself.

This article conveys the very important message that a viewer must understand where the information is coming from. It is wise to look into reviewers to see their qualifications, expertise, and credibility in order to see if their reviews can be trusted.