This question is #69 in OG2016.
If we're asked to UNDERMINE (weaken) an argument, we first must find the logical flaw between the premises and conclusion.
Premises:
- the
number of articles was lower last year
- several particle accelerators were out of service
Conclusion:
- fewer articles = due to decline in activity of particle accelerators
Logical Gaps:
- does the
number of articles directly correlate to the
number of experiments? Or might there be some other factor influencing what these journals want to publish? Quality of experiments, general interest, the state of the publishing industry, etc.
- does the
number of accelerators directly influence the
number of experiments conducted? Or could there have been more total experiments performed, even if a few accelerators were out of service?
We need a new piece of information that disrupts the assumption that
number of accelerators --> number of experiments --> number of articles.
(A) Every article based on experiments with particle accelerators that was submitted for publication last year actually was published.
This would actually
strengthen the argument, by giving us a direct connection between number of articles and number of experiments. That's the opposite of what we're looking for.
(A) says one reason that cause low number of articles, so I think (A) can weaken the argument
To your question - this isn't giving us a different explanation than the journalist's, because it's an extension of the same causation chain: number of accelerators --> number of experiments --> number of articles
(B) The average time scientists must wait for access to a particle accelerator has declined over the last several years.
It's unclear how this would affect the argument. We're looking for the relationship between low articles and accelerators. Whether scientists had to wait or not would not necessarily affect whether articles were published about it.
(B) says the waiting time decline, seems more chance to get accelerators, so I think it weaken the argument.
You're making too many assumptions here. Just because the waiting time declined, that doesn't belie the given premise that there were several accelerators unavailable. We have to treat our premises as TRUE. We don't weaken by contradicting the premise, but by revealing the flawed connection between premise and conclusion.
(C) The number of physics journals was the same last year as in previous years.
We have no direct reason to believe that the number of journals would directly affect the number of articles published about these accelerators. And since this is a "no change" answer, it wouldn't weaken - if anything, it would strengthen.
(D) Particle accelerators can be used for more than one group of experiments in any given year.
(D) says the accelerators can be used multi-experiments, that weaken the "decline availability", so I think (D) can weaken the argument as well.
No, this does not weaken "decline in availability." Even if we can use them for multiple experiments, out-of-service accelerators could still mean fewer experiments performed overall, leading to fewer articles. Or it could mean more experiments. There is just no direct tie to what this means about the articles.
(E) Recent changes in the editorial policies of several physics journals have decreased the likelihood that articles concerning particle-accelerator research will be accepted for publication
Bingo! This gives us an external factor that completely disrupts the connection between
number of articles = number of experiments. If the journals are less likely to publish these articles, it doesn't matter whether there was a decline in activity or not.
The correct answer is
E.