Judgment

Judgment is an essential element of evaluation that involves comparison and discrimination to arrive at knowledge of value and the relationship of things to each other, such as moral qualities, intellectual concepts, logical propositions, and material facts. Judgments occupy a space between what are ordinarily considered facts and opinions. A critical element of judgment is that it is not mere personal preference or arbitrary but rather is considered and thoughtful.

As such, judgments may be good or bad, and evaluation as a practice and profession promotes and incorporates skilled and justifiable judgment. Skilled judgment is something on which one relies; for example, when undergoing surgery, sending one's child to school, or driving a car in traffic.