The courage to reconsider
by Kristiane Bernhard-Novotny
New evidence can challenge an established explanation. But changing our minds may also require reconsidering the assumptions and reasoning that made the original interpretation convincing.
This applies well beyond scientific reasoning. Whenever we interpret information, we make judgements about what matters, how individual facts relate to one another and which conclusions deserve attention. Editorial work offers a particularly useful example of this process.
An author may have good reasons for presenting an argument in a particular way. An editor brings another perspective, placing the work within a broader context and sometimes recognising connections or implications that were not immediately apparent.
A discussion with the author may reveal why a particular aspect deserves emphasis, clarify an assumption or show that the editor's initial understanding was incomplete.
That revised understanding can then shape the article itself. The editor works with the author's ideas to improve the clarity and structure of the writing, bring out the strengths of the argument and, where necessary, make it more accessible to the intended readership.
Reconsidering an interpretation is not always easy, particularly when we have already invested considerable effort in developing it. It may mean acknowledging that our assumptions influenced what we considered important, or that we overlooked something in the author's reasoning.
Editorial judgement is tested by how we respond to such moments. Recognising a more convincing interpretation is only part of the process. We must also be prepared to act on that understanding, even when it means revising work we previously considered convincing.
Good editorial judgement also requires recognising when our own understanding needs to be reconsidered. That is a professional skill, not simply a matter of being open-minded.
Good editing does not simply improve how an argument is written. It helps bring out the significance of the author's work and make it clearer to the intended reader.
Still have questions? Contact us.
