Are very specific questions about formatting applications off topic?

Question

This question asks about italicizing adjectives in a "research statement" submitted as part of an application to a PhD position.

While it's true that many users that frequent AcademiaSE might have an opinion to offer on this topic, or how to organize a CV, etc. I don't think there are any principles or ideas specific to academics.

This doesn't seem to be addressed in the on topic guidelines. I think that AcademiaSE users could certainly offer good advice, but it seems to me that statements on this subject would only be opinion-based.

• Are these questions something that the community wants to see here?
• Are these constructive subjective questions?

To be clear, I think that broader questions about content (e.g., this question) for applications, proposals, etc. can be very productive, but I'm not convinced that opinions on the level of whether to bold or italicize text have any special utility because of an academic context.

Answer 1

Many of our questions have "opinion based" answers in that we draw a conclusion (i.e., come up with an answer) based on available evidence. The best answers draw from a wide range of independent credible sources, but even answers that draw from personal experiences and provide a good explanation of those experiences can be really good answers.