You must be logged into the element14 community to write a review.
You have completed the testing and evaluation portion of the RoadTest. Congratulations! Now is the time to report on your findings and write the review.
Like RoadTest applications, reviews are easy to write. Since your RoadTest review will be read by fellow element14 Community members, potential customers, and the manufacturer of the product you just Road Tested, it is important that you write a review that everyone enjoys to read. Here are some tips on how to write a RoadTest Review that will be both informative, clear, and enjoyable to read.
What is the Purpose of a RoadTest Review?
Road Tests go beyond a traditional product review. They are deep dives into the technical operation, programming and performance of the product. Simply giving your opinion about the product would not provide the deep analysis that is an inherent part of a RoadTest. To fully capture what you tested and how you derived your professional opinion, we would like you to provide the reader a detailed account of your test and evaluation of the product.
What Information Should Be Included In A Review?
Like most technical reports, it helps to provide a brief summary of your RoadTest and what you concluded about the product. You should also tell us what you did with the product.
Images, charts, graphs, screenshots and videos are excellent supporting materials that make your review an interesting piece of content. A comprehensive commentary is also part of a good RoadTest review. Observations on how the product worked under a certain set of conditions should also be included. You should express your professional opinion.
If your experience with the product was positive give the reader some examples to support your opinion. Conversely, if you feel the product has shortcomings, tell the reader why you think this is so. Be objective as you can.
Tips for Writing a Great RoadTest Review
1. Write a Great Summary: If you have a long review or one that covers multiple blog posts, make sure you summarize your current findings. If you have a three-post review, always summarize the previous posts (e.g. on the third post, summarize your findings from the first and second posts as well). This helps the reader capture your conclusions quickly.
2. Use Lots of Visuals: There is an old saying that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” It is as true today as it was when first coined. A RoadTest Review that has great visuals makes it interesting. By adding them to your review, readers will realize you put a lot of effort into your review. They will appreciate it and take the time to read your entire review or even make comments.
3. Be Objective, Not Emotional: RoadTest reviews are quite unlike novels or movies where you get emotionally caught up with the story. A good review is objective and provides supporting evidence of your opinion.
4. Show, Don't Tell: Show the reader what you did. Show a photo of your testing platform. Provide the reader with screenshots of a section of your code. Avoid skimming over the details.
5. Be Fair and Authentic: When you offer your professional opinion about the product, make sure it is reasonable, objective and fair. When you sound authentic, you will come off as being more credible. With earned credibility, you will be considered a trustworthy source for more RoadTests. You will also build your standing within the element14 Community.
6. Read and Imitate: Start reading roadtest reviews. After you read about 5 or 10 of them, you will understand what should be included in a review.
Examples of Good RoadTest Reviews
When you read them, you’ll notice they are detailed, interesting, and contain a lot of supporting materials. You can understand why the RoadTester was chosen to test the product.
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