Circular Reasoning Research Articles

Neurological symptoms in pediatric abusive head trauma: Multi-center data for clinical forensic medicine

Central nervous system-associated lesions can frequently be found in abusive head trauma (AHT) cases. Since there are frequently no visible signs of injury on the body surface, the diagnosis of AHT can be challenging. In particular, if the affected child shows only isolated neurological symptoms, these are often misinterpreted as a minor illness. Using a retrospective study design at three university hospitals, 72 medico-legal cases of “shaken baby syndrome” – a common variant of AHT – were analyzed. A comparison between confession cases (n=15) and non-confession cases was used in order to reduce the risk of circular reasoning. The most common neurological symptoms in the present cases were: epileptic seizures (44 %), pallor (37 %), somnolence (31 %), reduced muscle tone (25 %), vomiting (20 %) and unconsciousness (15 %). There were also no statistically significant differences between confession and non-confession cases, nor when comparing the simultaneous presence of skin or skeletal lesions. The combination of several symptoms serves as an indicator for the presence of AHT and should lead to further diagnostic measures under the hypothesis of the presence of an AHT in clinical observation.

Understanding fallacious reasoning via detecting moves of motivated criticism in Argument Continuity—a new strategy of circular reasoning in coping responses to disagreement within a distorted reasoning context

Reasoning asymmetry arises when biased argument production aligns with biased argument evaluation by the same arguer, a phenomenon commonly termed motivated criticism or biased assimilation. This practice, often wielded by individuals in positions of power, aims to advocate for specific decision options. Argument Continuity exemplifies this asymmetry within a distorted reasoning context, where a motivated critic incessantly reiterates arguments in counterarguments to discredit less powerful opponents, disregarding evidential priority in reasoning exchanges. When these restatements are bolstered by appeals to authority, uncertainty, or the unlikelihood of adverse effects of a decision option, they signify moves of motivated criticism, perpetuating Argument Continuity discursively. The paper seeks to identify and annotate instances of Argument Continuities in Indigenous consultation reports, reconstructing a discourse of motivated criticism among officials responding to resource concerns. By developing annotation guidelines, it aims to classify and predict Argument Continuity, providing a tool to preempt fallacious reasoning by authorities across diverse public policy contexts.

Building Upon “Foundationalism” to Achieve the Objectives of Contemporary Science: How this can Lead to Faster Scientific Progress and Inclusive Science

This paper is one of our most important ones in the core philosophy of science, and one that we expect to stand science in extremely good stead as well. We believe this can move the needle and push the envelope as well, and lead us to what we have always called “scientific progress at the speed of light”. We naturally commence this paper by tracing the history of the term “foundationalism” itself, right from the time of the Ancient Greeks, renaissance and enlightenment thinkers, and finally to the modern and contemporary ones. Types of foundationalism such as strong and weak foundationalism, modest foundationalism, and then finally anti-foundationalism, internalism and externalism are also discussed and dissected threadbare along with allied and related concepts such as circular logic and reasoning, regress and infinite regress, all of which form a part of epistemology. The core concepts forming a part of this paper such as forward linkages, backward linkages, and traceability matrices are also discussed. We follow this up with the core principles of this paper, and discuss the ideal and recommended direction of research, including the ideal nature of research, primary research, secondary research, basic and applied research, and cross-cultural collaboration including vertical and horizontal collaboration as well. This paper is also much more importantly linked to our papers on sociocultural change, pedagogy, scientific methods, and other papers in the social sciences for maximum impact and efficacy. It is therefore an important part and parcel of our globalization of science movement, and one that will help realize our overall goals and mission greatly.

Rancière reading Plato: Myth against sociology

This article examines how Rancière contrasts Plato’s philosophy with sociology, specifically that of Bourdieu and Passeron. In The Philosopher and His Poor, Plato is among those who exclude the majority not only from political power but also from thought and discourse. However, Rancière uses the Republic’s founding myth of inequality to identify the arbitrary basis behind the circular reasoning that justifies thought’s legitimate and illegitimate use based on alleged nature. Can Platonic myth constitute what Rancière terms a ‘discursive act’, which triggers political conflict, that is, the debate on equality as first presupposition? This study of Rancière’s Platonic reference examines the conditions under which philosophical myth can challenge sociology. The emancipatory use of myth involves reconfiguring our concepts of science and society and any notion of nature while scholarly discourse is hinged on processes of social othering that align it with the repressive order of social hierarchy. The comparison between Plato and Bourdieu, as analyzed through Rancière’s critique, reveals a fundamental divergence in their approach to societal structures. According to Rancière, all explanations tend to naturalize, whereas the only correct approach is to emphasize the total absence of any foundation for hierarchy. This problem has epistemological implications: how can we construct a discourse that does not reproduce the exceptionality of authorized speech? On this condition, one can catch a glimpse of the collective and temporal extent of Rancière’s resolute commitment to equality. Taking seriously a definition of the social as a series of perceptual rearrangements allows us to question the anti-institutional limit of Rancière’s thinking.

Problem Behaviours and Relinquishment: Challenges Faced by Clinical Animal Behaviourists When Assessing Fear and Frustration.

Fear and frustration are two emotions thought to frequently contribute to problem behaviour, often leading to relinquishment. Inferring these emotions is challenging as they may present with some similar general signs, but they potentially require different treatment approaches to efficiently address the behaviour of concern. Although behavioural assessment frameworks have been proposed, it is largely unknown how clinical animal behaviourists (CABs) assimilate information about the emotional state of an animal to inform their behavioural assessment. In other fields (such as both in human and veterinary medicine), the use of intuition and gut feelings, without the concurrent use of an assessment framework, can lead to higher rates of error and misdiagnosis. Therefore, this study used semi-structured interviews of ten CABs and qualitative methods to explore the ways they conceptualise, recognise and differentiate fear and frustration in dogs. Although interviewees perceived fear and frustration as negative affective states that lead to changes in an animal's behaviour, there was little consensus on the definition or identification or differentiation of these emotions. The use of a scientific approach (i.e., hypothesis-driven and based on falsification of competing hypotheses) for behavioural assessment was highly variable, with individual assessment processes often characterised by tautology, intuition, circular reasoning and confirmation bias. Assessment was typically based on professional judgment, amalgamating information on interpretation of communicative signals, motivation, learning history, breed, genetics and temperament. Given the lack of consensus in the definition of these states, it is clearly important that authors and clinicians define their interpretation of key concepts, such as fear and frustration, when trying to communicate with others.

An Aristotelian Critique to Contemporary Virtue Epistemology

This paper aims to offer an Aristotelian critique of virtue epistemology, particularly of the way virtue epistemologists use the concept of intellectual virtue in their definitions of knowledge. I engage with David Bronstein’s thesis that virtue reliabilists, despite claims of being contemporary representatives of Aristotle’s epistemology, construct their key epistemic categories in ways that fundamentally deviate from Aristotle’s own virtue epistemology. In addition to Bronstein’s argument, I will argue that a similar critique applies to the other main branch of virtue epistemology – namely, Zagzebski’s responsibilism. I intend to clarify both the gist of contemporary virtue epistemologists and the motivation behind their approaches, highlighting that, not only do they differ from Aristotle, but also that their theories run the risk of vicious circular reasoning. I conclude by proposing alternative options, within virtue epistemology, that may avoid the problems I identify in mainstream virtue reliabilism and responsibilism.

Moving Beyond "Recovery": Exposing and Disrupting the Eating Dis/Order Industrial Complex

In this article, we begin by discussing the historical ideologies and practices that have evolved into the prevailing understandings of ‘eating disorders’ (EDs) and their association with mental illness, psychiatric treatment, and recovery. We argue that psychiatry’s authoritarian control over so-called EDs and the circular reasoning that justifies its questionable efficacy present a paradoxical trap for those labelled as ED. While scholarly critiques of the psychiatric ED monopoly have expanded clinical framings of ED recovery, it is the psychiatric survivor movement that has exposed psychiatry itself as something to recover from. In line with this movement, and moving with Mad Studies, we call for a more radical scholarship that resists prevalent notions of ‘recovery’ and expresses Mad outrage in response to the systemic violence that is perpetuated by psychiatry’s totalitarian control of treatment and recovery. Toward this end, we began the process of curating radical imaginations for a transdisciplinary project to include alternative analyses of ED-related phenomena that expose what we have come to understand as the eating dis/order industrial complex. We conclude by pointing to alternative analyses that we suggest can inform critical eating dis/order studies, drawing from: economics, communication and technology studies, public health, radical dietetics, practitioners, activists, artists, survivors, peace studies, and multi-species studies.

A Critical Examination of the Clinical Diagnosis of Functional Tic-like Behaviors.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, movement disorder clinics have seen an increase in patients with an unusual type of tic-like symptoms: young adults with abrupt onset complex behaviors. It was quickly suspected that these patients suffered from functional neurological symptoms, later named Functional Tic-Like Behaviors (FTLB). Subsequent research on the differential diagnosis between FTLB and tics has been substantial and led to the development of diagnostic checklists. We conducted a theoretical reappraisal of the FTLB literature to clarify the validity of the concept and its diagnostic implications. This paper addresses several key aspects of the current FTLB literature: circular reasoning, the complications of the FTLB phenomenology and demographics, the impact of FTLB on tic literature at large, and issues with alignment of the FTLB concept with the diagnostic criteria for functional disorders. The clinical approach to FTLB might involve circular reasoning due to a lack of clinical benchmarks. The FTLB phenomenology and demographics may need more work to ensure a lack of bias and a proper description of this patient group including a clear distinction from tics. The impact of the FTLB discussion on the wider literature needs consideration. The validation of positive signs may help with both these endeavors and pave way to the inclusion of FTLB within psychiatric classification systems. Furthermore, the coexistence of FTLB and tics within the same patient needs to be addressed. More research may be needed to fully establish the diagnosis of FTLB and differentiate it from tics.

Human Cognition for Mitigating the Paradox of AI Explainability: A Pilot Study on Human Gaze-based Text Highlighting

Artificial Intelligence (AI) explainability plays a crucial role in fostering robust Human-AI Interaction (HAI). However, circular reasoning compromises decision robustness due to limitations in existing AI explainability methods. To address this challenge, we propose leveraging human cognition to enhance explainability, aligning with analysis goals without relying on potentially biased labels. By developing text highlighting driven by human gaze patterns, our research demonstrates that human gaze-based text highlighting sig-nificantly reduces decision time for proficient readers, with-out significantly affecting accuracy or bias. This study con-cludes by emphasizing the value of human cognition-based explainability in advancing explainable AI (XAI) and HAI.

An updated chronostratigraphic framework for the Cenozoic sediments of southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau: Implications for regional tectonics

As one of the most important accommodation zones during the India-Asia collision, the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau (SEMTP) is characterized by many large-scale strike-slip faults, a regional low-relief relict that has been deeply incised by several continental scale rivers that originate from central Tibet, and numerous plant and vertebrate fossil biotas residing in Cenozoic sedimentary basins. Therefore, the SEMTP not only provides a meaningful constraint on the geodynamic evolution of the Tibetan Plateau, but also serves as an exemplar to understand the various interactions among surface uplift, drainage network reorganization, climate change, and biodiversity. Precise dating of Cenozoic sediments in the basins of the SEMTP is crucial for understanding these processes. Previously, the geochronologic framework of Cenozoic sediments in the SEMTP largely relied on fossils and regional stratigraphic correlations, which often involved circular reasoning and large uncertainties. In the past two decades, high-resolution magnetostratigraphy, detrital zircon geochronology, and isotopic dating of interbedded tephra layers have been carried out on SEMTP Cenozoic sedimentary basins in Yunnan and eastern Xizang provinces, SW China. Using these new data, we build a revised chronostratigraphic framework for Cenozoic sediments in SEMTP, and use this updated temporal framework to contextualize regional tectonics and climate change. The new chronostratigraphic framework shows that (1) many of the “Neogene” sedimentary basins based on plant fossils and regional lithostratigraphic correlation in the SEMTP were actually formed in the late Eocene and early Oligocene; (2) most of the Paleogene sedimentary successions in the SEMTP ended at the late Eocene-early Oligocene and were unconformably overlaid by Middle-Late Miocene sediments. Oligocene-Early Miocene sediments are often regionally absent. Sedimentary structures within the basin successions show that Paleogene basins were generally formed in compressional settings while the Late Miocene basins were mostly developed in extensional settings. The new chronostratigraphic framework, together with analyses of sedimentary basin structures, suggests that the SEMTP began to experience crustal shortening early in the India-Asia collision (∼50 Ma), producing Paleogene sedimentary basins and giving rise to the subsequent widespread surface uplift and regional erosion in the Oligocene-Middle Miocene. Tectonic inversion from compression to extension since the Middle Miocene precludes significant uplift of the SEMTP after this time, which may be related to geodynamic changes in the evolution of the Tibetan Plateau.

Husserl on knowing essences: Transworld identity and epistemic progression

AbstractHusserl's proposed method for knowing the essences of universals, which he calls “free variation,” has been widely criticized for involving viciously circular reasoning. In this paper, I review existing attempts to resolve this problem, and I argue that they all fail. I then show that extant accounts are all guilty of a common mistake: they assume that circularity is inevitable as long as the exercise of free variation presupposes the ability to identify the universal whose essence is in question, that is, the ability to recognize entities as instances of it. I reject this assumption: I argue on both Husserlian and independent philosophical grounds that knowledge of a universal's essence is not required for identifying it, but only for re‐identifying it at every possible world in which it is instantiated. I then defend a reading on which free variation's purpose is to move its practitioner from non‐essentialistic knowledge of a universal's identity (its actual instantiation‐pattern) to essentialistic knowledge of its transworld identity (its instantiation‐pattern in every possible world in which it is present). And I show that such a transformation is a non‐circular progression from non‐modal to modal knowledge.

One Never Knows

Abstract Understanding anticipatory action as undergirding the dynamics of life is the prerequisite for defining what art is. Its change over time reflects the fact that life is purposeful and escapes prediction. Explaining art from the perspective of means and methods involved in producing it, from a deterministic view, leads to circular reasoning: the conclusion (machine art is the future) is in the premise (machines can make art). This fallacy becomes evident in the context of the current infatuation with automation of artmaking (especially through AI), and even art evaluation. The role art plays in defining the human condition is no less significant than that of science, itself indebted to aesthetics in its expression.

Analyzing the Causation Between Conspiracy Mentality and Belief in Conspiracy Theories

Abstract: The dispositional approach to conspiracy mentality suggests that it causally precedes belief in conspiracy theories. I identify two potential pitfalls when analyzing this causal relationship: circular reasoning (in which the two constructs are conflated and interchangeable) and black box explanations (in which conspiracy mentality is merely defined as a disposition to believe in conspiracy theories). I argue that avoiding black box explanations requires theoretical and empirical works to clarify the content and antecedents of conspiracy mentality. To guide future research, I formulate two hypotheses based on a philosophical analysis of conspiracy thinking and empirical research. In doing so, I question common assumptions on conspiracy mentality. First, against the assumption that conspiracy mentality is unidimensional, I propose that it may be better conceptualized as a multidimensional construct. Second, against the assumption that conspiracy mentality unidirectionally causes conspiracy theory beliefs, I propose that this relationship might be bidirectional.

Unintentional Evolution: The Rise of Reciprocal Altruism

In this study, we propose a groundbreaking hypothesis for the evolution of reciprocal altruism, suggesting its emergence from random encounters characterized by theft rather than the traditionally accepted cooperative reciprocation and intertemporal choice. We challenge the conventional theory, critiquing its circular reasoning that presupposes cooperation to explain its own origin. Our approach posits that theft, when passively tolerated during times of abundance, does not negatively impact survival and reproduction. This leads to a novel understanding of cooperation as a form of “tolerated theft”. To support our theory, we developed a Python-based simulation model that succinctly demonstrates how this mechanism could operate. Our key finding is that in environments where theft is tolerated, offspring may evolve to overlook such acts, eventually emerging as reliable reciprocators in times of scarcity. This hypothesis, while potentially controversial due to its originality, opens up new perspectives on the accidental evolution of reciprocal altruism and encourages a reevaluation of the fundamental mechanisms driving cooperative behaviors.

Unlocking Logical Fallacies: A Key to Building Critical Thinking Skills in Adolescents

Purpose: The purpose of this clinical focus article is to present an innovative language intervention program for adolescents that attempts to build critical thinking skills by addressing logical fallacies. Method: Fourteen logical fallacies that often occur in spoken and written discourse are defined and discussed. These include the hasty generalization , the false dichotomy , equivocation , circular reasoning , the anecdote , the appeal to hypocrisy , the slippery slope , the appeal to ridicule , the red herring , the bandwagon , the false cause , the omission of evidence , the appeal to authority , and ad hominem . The consequences of passively accepting biased, illogical, and inaccurate statements are highlighted, and ways to address these concerns are explained. Results: Given their expertise in spoken and written language development and disorders, speech-language pathologists, collaborating with classroom teachers, are well suited to teach adolescents with developmental language disorder or weak language skills how to unlock—or deconstruct—logical fallacies to reveal their hidden meaning. All of this can be achieved while addressing students' basic competencies in speaking, listening, reading, and writing—skills that are essential for well-informed and self-reliant thinking. Conclusion: In addition to helping students manage their own lives more successfully and to communicate more effectively, instruction in critical thinking by unlocking logical fallacies may help to increase levels of social justice in our institutions and daily interactions over time.

Value Judgments in Criminal Law Interpretation

Criminal law interpretation in China faces two primary challenges in terms of value judgments. Normative interpretations often fall into circular and inadequate reasoning, while judges, the key figures in applying interpretive principles, frequently lack the necessary value judgment engagement and proficiency. Traditional criminal law interpretation is ensnared in a subjective-objective dichotomy, resulting in a misalignment with the aim of “legitimate and rational” interpretation practices in China. To rectify this, a philosophical shift is required to allow intersubjective value judgments while maintaining subjectivity-objectivity as the prerequisite. Criminal law interpretation ensures the completeness of value judgments through a combination of specialized knowledge and public discourse. This involves the creation of systematic criteria for value judgments and adherence to legal principles. The former necessitates defining the internal and external standards of value judgments, formulating rules for the resolution of conflicting standards, and underlining the practical importance of criminalization under law, or “no crime or punishment without law” (the principle that only the law can define a crime and prescribe a penalty) and “Where no law applies, it is permissible to redefine a crime as non-criminal or minor” (decriminalization). The latter involves three perspectives: logical reasoning and theoretical arguments; positive and negative judgments; and formal and substantive rationality. Moreover, it should be approached from four dimensions: normative orientation, individual case promotion, reverse exclusion, and constitutional guidance.

“LARGER” BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA OF THE CENOMANIAN. A REVIEW OF THE IDENTITY AND THE STRATIGRAPHIC AND PALAEOGEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF NON-FUSIFORM PLANISPIRAL (OR NEAR-PLANISPIRAL) FORMS

A key but challenging task for biostratigraphers is to provide a biozonal/bioevent framework for geological correlation. Species of Larger Benthic Foraminifera (LBF) are important biostratigraphic markers in depositional environments where classical biostratigraphic fossils such as planktonic micro- and macrofossils are rare or absent – e.g., tropical-subtropical shallow water platforms. However, a lack of taxonomic rigour in identifying some LBF species, together with a lack of good age-calibration of their occurrences, has given rise to artificially extended biostratigraphic and paleogeographic ranges for many taxa, diluting their usefulness. In this study, the occurrences of Cenomanian LBF belonging to a “planispiral morphogroup”, both agglutinated and calcareous, have been critically evaluated to determine (i) identity; (ii) stratigraphic range; and (iii) palaeogeographic distribution. Since the last major review of the group in 1985, a voluminous literature has appeared reporting occurrences and adding new taxa. An extensive review of some 600+ published items on Cenomanian planispiral LBF – mostly published after 1985 – and a critical review of the confidence in species identification and age-calibrations therein, has led us to identify 39 taxa (three in “open” status) which appear to have distinct identity. The vast majority of these records are from Neotethys although some also occur in (or are endemic to) the Caribbean/West Atlantic and the Eastern Pacific. The quality of the published taxonomic data is variable and many published records based on identity can be discounted or termed “unconfirmed”. Likewise, many records (confirmed or otherwise) are poorly age-calibrated due to lack of corroborating biostratigraphy or chemostratigraphy, or by using circular reasoning. We summarise and illustrate the main defining characteristics of each taxon and their possible confusion species, including new taxa described since the mid-1980s. We publish new, more confident, age-ranges for these taxa – confirmed by identity and/or age-calibration – and identify where published range data may be unreliable. Paleogeographic distribution maps for each taxon are also provided. Particular stratigraphic issues around the Cenomanian- Turonian boundary are observed due to the difficulty of identifying that boundary, or its preservation, in shallow marine carbonate settings. Although most Cenomanian planispiral LBF are somewhat long-ranging, an increase in diversity throughout the middle – late Cenomanian has shown potential for biostratigraphic resolution to at least substage level using this group. Integration of the planispiral taxa with other LBF morphogroups, after similar treatment, will yield even higher biostratigraphic resolution of Cenomanian LBF and provide a sound basis for biozonation (both local and global), correlation, and age calibration.

Centric relation-A biological perspective of a technical concept.

Few terms and concepts have been so extensively debated in dentistry as the words 'centric relation' (CR). Debates involve its biological, diagnostic and therapeutic usefulness. A review of the literature on the current concepts on CR as a diagnostic or therapeutic aid in dentistry was provided. Clinical trials assessing the superiority of one CR recording method over the others to identify patients with temporomandibular disorders (diagnostic use) or to manage patients with prosthodontic or orthodontic needs (therapeutic use) were tentatively included. Due to the absence of literature addressing either of the above targets, a comprehensive overview was provided. The diagnostic use of CR as a reference position to identify the correct position of the temporomandibular joint condyle within the glenoid fossa is not supported and lacks anatomical support. From a therapeutic standpoint, the use of CR can be pragmatically useful in prosthodontics as a maxillo-mandibular reference position when occlusal re-organization is warranted and/or when the position of maximum intercuspation is no longer available. The derived occlusal goals from a diagnostic misuse of CR are generally the result of circular reasoning, that is a technique is based on the recording of a certain condylar position that is believed to be 'ideal' and the treatment is considered successful when such position is shown by the specific instrument that was manufactured for that purpose. The term 'Centric Relation' might be replaced with the term 'Maxillo-Mandibular Utility Position'.

Vaccination process of immunocompromised patients in the Netherlands: Current challenges and potential solutions

IntroductionImmunocompromised patients (ICP) have an increased risk for infectious diseases. Vaccines could help reduce this risk. However, ICP do not always receive or are reimbursed for the specific vaccinations on which they are dependent in the Netherlands. This research aims to gain insights into the current challenges in the vaccination process of ICP in the Netherlands. Moreover, it aims to explore potential solutions for these challenges and the ideal vaccination process. MethodsTwelve semi-structured interviews with relevant stakeholders were conducted. Partly based on the challenges found by the Council for Health and Society (RVS) and the Dutch National Health Care Institute (ZIN) an interview guide was developed. ResultsSeveral newly emerged challenges were identified: fair reimbursement for the efforts of stakeholders; circular reasoning of vaccine reimbursement and guidelines; suboptimal translation from guidelines to practice and no smooth-running infrastructure. Most challenges corresponded with those stated by the RVS and ZIN. Affordability and knowledge deficit in healthcare providers and patients were the most important challenges. Rarely the same solutions were mentioned, and no ideal vaccination process emerged. ConclusionsThe various challenges in the vaccination process of ICP in the Netherlands implies the difficulty to solve the problem. It is recommended to focus on solving the most important challenges. A potential solution is to adjust the GVS registration process to make it easier for the pharmaceutical industry to apply for reimbursement towards various high-risk groups. Additionally, vaccination should have a more prominent role in the education of healthcare providers. Furthermore, stakeholders need to cooperate more to solve the reimbursement and guidelines issue.

Deconstructing plate tectonic reconstructions

The evolving mosaic of tectonic plates across the surface of the Earth sets boundary conditions for the evolution of biotic and abiotic processes and helps shape the dynamics of its interior. Reconstructing plate tectonics back through time allows scientists from a range of disciplines (such as palaeobiology, palaeoclimate, geodynamics and seismology) to investigate Earth evolution through these spatiotemporal dimensions. However, the variety and complexity of plate reconstructions can lead to some of their limitations being overlooked. In this Technical Review, we discuss the domain-specific knowledge underpinning modern quantitative plate reconstructions and convey a set of principles on how to use (but not abuse) the software or results. Open-source plate tectonic reconstruction software, like GPlates, has led to a major shift in working practices, handing non-specialists the tools to develop and integrate reconstructions based on their own datasets and expertise. However, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ and users need to understand what data and underlying assumptions go into making different, sometimes competing reconstruction models. It is therefore essential to consider the many ways reconstructions simplify reality when interpreting them to avoid circular reasoning. Although many aspects of deep-time reconstructions remain unresolved, future work on intercomparisons between models and uncertainty quantification is an essential pathway towards next-generation plate reconstructions. The advent of advanced plate tectonic reconstruction software has instigated an explosive growth in their generation and use by the wider Earth science community. This Technical Review provides a best-practice guide for quantitative plate reconstructions and their applications.