Every course review, platform comparison, and recommendation on OnlineCourseing follows a consistent evaluation process. This page explains how we research, evaluate, and score the courses and platforms we cover.
Our Review Process
1. Research
Before writing any review, we research the platform or course thoroughly:
- Examine the full curriculum, syllabus, and learning objectives
- Review pricing models, refund policies, and free tier availability
- Check instructor credentials and teaching experience
- Analyze student reviews across multiple sources (platform reviews, Reddit, Trustpilot)
- Verify certificate recognition and employer adoption
2. Evaluation Criteria
We evaluate every course and platform across six dimensions:
| Criterion | What We Assess | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Content Quality | Depth of material, accuracy, currency, practical application | 30% |
| Value for Money | Price relative to content quality, free alternatives, refund policy | 25% |
| Teaching Quality | Instructor expertise, teaching style, engagement | 15% |
| Practical Application | Projects, exercises, real-world relevance, portfolio value | 15% |
| Credential Value | Certificate recognition, employer adoption, career impact | 10% |
| Platform Experience | UI/UX, mobile access, offline support, community features | 5% |
3. Honest Assessment
Every review includes both strengths and weaknesses. We do not write exclusively positive reviews to protect affiliate relationships. If a course is overpriced, outdated, or poorly taught, we say so — and recommend better alternatives.
4. Regular Updates
Online courses change. Prices shift, curricula update, platforms pivot. We revisit and update our highest-traffic reviews regularly to ensure accuracy. Each review shows when it was last updated.
How We Handle Affiliate Relationships
OnlineCourseing earns affiliate commissions when readers purchase through our links. This is how we fund our research and keep content free. Here is how we ensure this doesn’t compromise our reviews:
- We review first, partner second. We don’t create reviews to match affiliate relationships — we seek affiliate partnerships with platforms we’ve already evaluated positively.
- Commission rates don’t influence rankings. A platform paying 10% commission doesn’t rank higher than one paying 5% if the 5% platform is genuinely better.
- We disclose affiliate relationships. Links to course platforms are affiliate links. We note this transparently.
- We recommend non-affiliate options when appropriate. If a free resource (Khan Academy, freeCodeCamp, YouTube) is genuinely the best option for a topic, we mention it — even though we earn nothing from the recommendation.
What We Don’t Do
- We don’t accept payment for positive reviews
- We don’t fabricate student testimonials or statistics
- We don’t recommend platforms we haven’t researched
- We don’t hide pricing or misrepresent costs
Our Review Team
Reviews are researched and written by our editorial team, led by Josh Hutcheson. For platform-specific reviews, we consult subject matter experts and verify claims against public data (student counts, employer adoption, pricing).
Questions about our review process? Contact info@onlinecourseing.com.