I am adding content to a website that has the following hierarchy:
channel > section > page
When you view any page, there is a lefthand sidebar that lists all the other pages in the same section.
In many cases there is content that could fit in multiple sections. So we physically put the content in one section, and in the other section we redirect to it from within the lefthand sidebar navigation.
My concern is whether this practice will confuse visitors because the sidebar gives the impression that the links listed are part of the same section. A user may click a link expecting to stay in the same channel & section but then is thrown to another area of the site.
Just to clarify, the visual design from one channel or section to another isn't different. But I don't know whether this redirect practice has a negative impact on usability.
I have tried to Google this topic in many ways and haven't found an answer.
EDIT: Here is a site using the same CMS: houstonisd.org/Page/31695 This page is a perfect example, because you are currently located in: Students & Parents (channel) > Student Requirements (section) > Code of Conduct (page) The pages on the lefthand sidebar are the other pages in that section (or, I would assume that is how visitors will perceive it). However, if you click 'High Frequency Word Evaluation' you are taken to a different channel and section. This site doesn't show breadcrumbs, whereas mine does.