Introducing a new Ask the Editors feature
Have you ever had a question about style or usage and were unsure of where to find the answer? The University editors are here to help!
This month I’m excited to introduce a new Ask the Editors page on the NDWorks website. (It will also be linked to from the University Style Guide.) On this page, you can submit questions about style, usage, word choice, etc., and get an answer from either myself—Brittany Kaufman, senior editor, as a refresher—or Associate Editor Julia Wilson.
Each question will be responded to individually, and most will be posted on the Ask the Editors page on the NDWorks website. The page, inspired by the AP Stylebook’s popular Ask the Editor feature, will also be an additional resource for campus communicators looking for answers to specific questions. Questions with broad relevance, such as those pointing to a gap in the University Style Guide or those that pop up often, could be featured in future editions of Editor’s Note.
The online page includes a link to a Google Form to submit your questions. You’ll need to include your name and email so that you can receive a response, but you’ll be able to choose whether you want your question attributed to you online or wish to remain anonymous. Julia and I will try to answer all questions as soon as we can.
Start the year with smart SEO + GEO foundations
Note: For more information on this new monthly feature from Marketing Strategist Staci Stickovich, see the November Editor’s Note.
Happy New Year! If you’re resolving to make your content more findable, think beyond rankings this year—think relevance and context.
In 2025, search began to evolve as more people turned to AI-powered platforms—such as Google Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT—to answer questions without clicking through to a website. In 2026, that shift continues. To remain visible, content must be easy for both traditional search engines and generative AI systems to understand. Optimizing for keywords alone is no longer enough.
Here’s how to get started:
- Write titles and section headers that mirror real questions people are asking.
- Use relevant terms that clearly signal who the content is for, such as location, audience (mothers, parents, children), or industry.
- Structure content for clarity. Short paragraphs, scannable lists, and descriptive image alt text help both search engines and AI better interpret your story.
January goal: Create content that’s answer-ready—not just keyword-rich.
Pop quiz
How many errors are in the following sentence?
She had to change her password so that she could log-on to the Institute’s live stream.
Click on your answer to submit your response. If you have the correct response, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a prize!
A note about the pop quiz
Please think of these monthly quizzes as open-book! I designed these quizzes to get readers more comfortable using the University Style Guide to find the answer. You are encouraged to consult that before submitting your answer.
November pop quiz winner
Congrats to the winner of the November pop quiz: Claudia Francis, associate director of the Washington Program!
Which shows the correct use of affect/effect in this sentence:
When the law goes into ____ next month, it will ____ our tax rate.
Answer: effect, affect
These two words are confusing for a lot of people. An easier way to remember the difference is that in the most common uses, effect is almost always a noun, and affect is almost always a verb. Another trick is to remember that the can go in front of nouns, and the ends with e and effect starts with e—so, along those lines, effect is the noun.
E.g., She changed the lens filter and the effect was cool. The filter affected the contrast.
But the confusion stems from the fact that sometimes effect is a verb and affect is a noun, although these uses are far less common:
- Effect as a verb is usually a synonym for “to bring about”: The new CEO instituted policies to effect change on the company culture.
- Affect as a noun usually refers to observable emotion: His flat affect during his speech bored the audience.
So, while affect and effect can both be either verbs or nouns, remember that generally, affect is a verb and effect is a noun. If in doubt, check out this refresher at Merriam-Webster!
What we’re reading
These are stories that we found to be interesting, fun, or thought-provoking. The views are not necessarily endorsed. Want to share a story you found? Feel free to send it to me.
Plain Language Resistance: Is “Plain” the Problem?
Editors Canada blog
What’s your type? Try these tests to pick the perfect font for you.
The Washington Post (gift link)
5 ways to keep your writing human in an AI-heavy workplace
PR Daily
No more loose taxonomies or dirty data
Nieman Lab
Latest style guide updates
Global South
Capitalize this term when it’s used to reference a group of developing countries that are generally located in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The term typically refers to social and political landscapes more than a group of specific countries.
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