When it comes to rankings, Google is a big player in the game. They rank sites based on a variety of factors, including relevance, anchor text and locations in the URL. There are other ranking systems such as the Open Education Database and the US News & World Report. Rankings are important to students and parents alike, as they provide a way to determine which online programs are best suited for a specific set of educational goals.
In general, there is little scientific debate as to the best way to rate an online program. Most of these methods use a combination of query-dependent and query-independent metrics. The most effective and efficient of these is the query-independent method. This entails the combination of an algorithm and a mathematical model. For example, the aptly titled “PageRank” is a ranking system that assigns a rank to every web page based on its relative relevance to a query. However, this method is not ideal when the target item is a large amount of content, such as a website.
Another ranking strategy is to leave out a few items to create a “bigger picture”. Using this approach, one can create an arbitrary consistent ordinal ranking. While a ranking system that assigns the same number to all items is not necessarily desirable, this type of ranking can provide a reliable and stable result. It is not surprising that these rankings systems are the building blocks of many popular sites such as Amazon and Netflix.
A similar system could be applied to a video game, such as Grand Theft Auto. However, such a ranking system is not likely to be widely adopted. Ranking systems based on skill may be more practical, especially for more complex and time consuming games. Alternatively, a ranking system that provides a more objective score could be implemented, such as the system developed by the UK-based research institutes.
The best rankings are the results of a well thought out combination of methodology and statistics. For instance, the Best Online Programs rankings are the result of a collaboration between the two leading publications, which in turn rely on a number of third-party companies to provide them with the most relevant data. As a result, this system is more likely to produce results with a high degree of accuracy. On top of that, these rankings also serve to promote more schools to submit the most comprehensive and accurate data on key ranking indicators.
It is not uncommon to find a ranking oomph that is not the tiniest bit useful. Some of these rankings are even designed to mislead. One of the better known examples of this is the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings. Since its inception in 1983, this organization has been publishing a variety of rankings, from college rankings to university rankings. Although these rankings are of little importance to most consumers, they are of interest to a variety of groups, ranging from governing boards of institutions to parents.