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Hello Graduate Students in AERA Division D,

 

We are writing today to remind you of the Oct. 31st deadline to submit a proposal for the 2022 AERA Annual Meeting in New York City.

 

Why submit a proposal to AERA?

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  1. Presenting at the AERA Annual Meeting is a wonderful networking experience. World-renowned researchers in your research field could possibly stop by your paper session or poster, and even ask to collaborate with you after your presentation. You can also proactively engage these researchers by attending their presentations, asking questions, and sharing your viewpoints.
     

  2. The AERA proposal is one of the longest amongst education conferences, and the deadline is quite early. The AERA Annual Meeting proposal forces you into the mindset of submitting proposals for your research projects. Even if your proposal is rejected, you will still have a well-crafted proposal that can be adapted for other purposes, such as a proposal for another conference.
     

  3. Regardless of your desired post-graduation employment (e.g., academia vs. industry), a history of presenting at conferences (especially nationally-recognized) is highly desirable. Being accepted to speak at AERA in particular is a signal of the quality of your academic work.
     

  4. At many schools / departments of education, being a presenter is a prerequisite for receiving travel funding. AERA is in New York next year, and promises to be an exciting conference, but also an expensive one. Additional travel funding will be helpful.
     

  5. The AERA Annual Meeting is a great opportunity to share what you have been working on, and gives you some experience presenting in front of other researchers.

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Tips on Submission:

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  1. Be aware of the July 24th deadline, and put it on your calendar. Time tends to fly during the summer, and we will approach July 24th much quicker than you expect. Set deadlines for yourself, mark them on your calendar, and treat them like any other deadlines.
     

  2. Technology malfunctions are not an excuse for missing the deadline. Plan to submit your proposal before July 24th in order to avoid last minute technology panic.
     

  3. Your advisor is a vital resource. Do not be afraid to ask for help and advice! Think of other professors who have offered to help in the past — they may be willing to mentor you through your submission.
     

  4. The AERA proposal is a long one — do not wait until the last minute. See tip number 1!
     

  5. Read the (very long) call for submissions. This will save you time in the long run. In particular, attend to the six required “elements” on p. 3:

    1. Objectives or purposes

    2. Perspective(s) or theoretical framework

    3. Methods, techniques, or modes of inquiry

    4. Data sources, evidence, objects, or materials

    5. Results and/or substantiated conclusions or warrants for arguments/point of view

    6. Scientific or scholarly significance of the study or work
       

  6. Attend to the conference theme, and make it obvious to reviewers how your proposal connects to the conference theme. This makes it easier for busy reviewers, and can be done in a sentence or two. The 2018 theme is, “The Dreams, Possibilities, and Necessity of Public Education”. Read more about the theme here.
     

  7. Avoid the “common mistakes” on pp. 7-8. Students with the greatest chance of a successful review should be attentive to technical issues such as spelling, grammar, and adherence to APA formatting.
     

  8. You will submit a proposal to one of the 12 Divisions or to one of the 151 SIGs; proposals are reviewed and accepted or rejected at that level.  Be strategic about where you submit: SIGs tend to have fewer people submitting to them, but also have fewer slots available to accept papers and posters.
     

  9. If you are submitting to Division D, see further instructions on page 15 — other divisions likewise include additional instructions. If you are submitting to a SIG, and have not received additional instructions from them, please feel free to contact their program chair.  A few SIGs that have been of particular interest to Division D graduate students are:
    SIG37        Educational Statisticians headrick@siu.edu
    SIG140      Multilevel Modeling mjkim@ua.edu
    SIG70        Multiple Linear Regression: General Linear Model
    SIG83        Rasch Measurement lmwllm14@memphis.edu
    SIG118      Structural Equation Modeling lizz@u.washington.edu
    For other SIGs, see our spreadsheet on which we have highlighted additional SIGs of interest to Division D graduate students, or consult the official list of AERA SIGs.
     

  10. Remember that an AERA proposal is not a typical conference submission, where you submit only an abstract and outline. “Face validity” matters almost as much as “content validity”; i.e., reviewers are wanting to see good drafts of near-final research articles. This is largely necessitated by the size of the conference and the volume of submissions. Reviewers receive upwards of 20 proposals to review in a short timeframe;  both the research content and structure your draft should be strong, to improve your odds of acceptance.

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Attending the AERA Annual Meeting is a way to keep up with the research in your areas of interest. In addition, there are really great mentorship opportunities, such as those offered by our Division D, and AERA is a wonderful place to network. We look forward to seeing you in New York City in 2018!

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