Authorial intent
The author's intent is the intended meaning that author of a fiction had when he or she was writing it.
Frequently in the various Transformers fictions, the author's intent is not what appears in the finished work, and it is up to the fan to decide whether to accept the author's intent or the events depicted in the finished work.
Sometimes the correct interpretation is obvious, but other times it ends up being a matter of debate.
Examples
Optimus Prime's "Spark Holder" in Beast Wars
In the episode Optimal Situation, Optimus Primal is shown removing what appears to be the the Matrix from Optimus Prime's chest. He then absorbed Prime's spark, which according to Rhinox "had the Matrix with it," from within the object into his own chest.
This action would subsequently cause him to grow in size and become Optimal Optimus. This appeared to parallel the upgrade to Hot Rod when he got the Matrix in Transformers: The Movie.
The only problem is that the "Matrix" Primal took was merely supposed to be a fancy spark holder for Prime, and the scene was meant to depict Optimus Prime being upgraded because he held two sparks.
