1. You are here:
  2. Homepage
  3. OUR COMMUNITY
  4. Share, Learn & Grow
  5. AAE House Style Guide

AAE House Style Guide

This guide provides requirements to make you better understood by AAE's audience and readers. House terminolgy, spelling and grammar ensures clarity and some consistency.

Audience & Readers

The audience and readership (the AAE community) is from many countries and regions of the world. They are all from associations, societies, federations and other work-related membership organisations.

Regional & Cultural
  • Do not assume that situations that ocurred in one country are known by the audience / readers
  • When refering to an organization (eg.HMRC / government tax & revenue department) where the name is particular to one country, use a term that is universal, or explain briefly what you are referring to
  • Take account of legal obligations and custom being different in most countries
  • Avoid humour that is particular to a specific country / people
Timely
  • Avoid anything that makes the content un-necessarily dated as the content may be used years ahead
Copy text
  • Bullets should start with capital letters and not include a comma, full stop or words referring to the next bullet (eg. and/or) at the end
  • Don't use ordinal numbers for dates, eg. "10th March". Please use the format eg. "10 March 2025"
Terminology
  • Use "Sector" not "Industry"
  • Associations is not a sector/industry and when each association has a specific sector of its own, it confuses. Please use phrases like "in associations" or "in the associations world" or "in membership organisations"
  • Avoid using "NFP" or "Not-for-Profit" as this is imprecise
  • Avoid "limited" when little or few is meant, as even a very large number can be limited
Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation
  • "Organize" not "organise" as AAE adopts english (UK) spelling (Oxford English Dictionary)
  • Hyphenate two words that together modify a noun, eg. "world-class organization" (acting as a compound modifier)
  • The "Oxford" comma (just before the "and" in a series of items) is acceptable where it clarifies meaning
Strategy and Plans

We often receive feedback that the word "Strategy" is used in talks and articles when "Plan" is what is meant. So as to avoid confusion, please use these words according to the approach below. It is especially important in descriptions of talks, as delegates often specifically want to hear one and not the other, or ensure they are to hear about both.

A Strategy is a high-level, overarching approach that provides direction and a framework for decision-making. It answers the "why" and "what" questions, defining:

  • The overall objectives and desired outcomes
  • Key principles that guide decisions
  • General methods to achieve goals
  • Core priorities and trade-offs

A Plan is more tactical and detailed, focusing on the "how," "when," and "who." It includes:

  • Specific actions and steps (processes)
  • Timelines and deadlines
  • Resource allocation
  • Assigned responsibilities
  • Concrete metrics and milestones