Date Submitted: 9/09/2019
Question summary:
Can I go back to the editors of a website and defend a point?
Full question:
Response 1
Response 2
Yes, absolutely. Bear in mind that there may be shorter ways to say something but you should ensure that the piece conveys your meaning accurately.
Response 3
Yes, you absolutely can and should go back to the editors to defend your point. If you believe that the current version misstates your findings, then you should approach the editor and ask for the opportunity to revise (or reinstate) those cut sections. Explain that you understand your first cut at the sections was "too detailed and nuanced," but that the piece is misleading if the author's caution about weak statistical significance is cut. Perhaps there's another way to restate these sections? If, however, the editor does not permit revisions, and if the author believes that the blog post would be misleading as published, then I don't really see another solution other than declining to publish it. The topic is a sensitive one; misleading the public could potentially cause harm. If the editor dug his heels in, I would politely decline to publish in that venue and seek another outlet for the original, more nuanced, blog post. Again, if this were simply a stylistic matter, then the issue won't be so serious. But if the edits misrepresent the strength or nature of the findings, then the author shouldn't publish (and likely wouldn't want it published in that state).