An earlier example is not an automatic answer
Read for meaning first. Select a highlighted word if you want a closer look.
A volunteer journal reached a juncture at which it had to choose between publishing one large annual issue and several shorter issues. The editor found a precedent in an earlier experiment recorded by her predecessor, who had tried a short spring edition when submissions were unusually numerous. That example gave the team useful questions about workload and timing. It did not show that the same choice would suit the current group, whose contributors and available hours differed from those described in the old notes.
At this juncture, the editor needed a decision the present volunteers could carry out rather than an appeal to tradition alone. Her predecessor's notes explained why the earlier experiment had been attempted and what work it required. The precedent was informative because its circumstances were recorded, allowing the group to identify similarities and differences. They used it to design a limited trial, stating in advance which observations would help them decide whether to keep the shorter format after the first issue.
Before you move on
Look away from the passage. Can you explain each focus word in your own words?
Original fictional passages for vocabulary practice.