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The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the national learned society for education research, founded in 1916 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. For researchers it is best known for three things: its twelve divisions and more than 150 special interest groups, its seven journals, and an online repository of Annual Meeting presentations. This guide explains how each part works for someone doing or funding research, within the wider field described in what is education research.
What It Is
AERA is a research society rather than a teachers’ union or advocacy body: its activity centers on scholarly work in education. It runs an Annual Meeting, publishes journals, offers research funding through the AERA-NSF Grants Program, and maintains the AERA Online Paper Repository. Searches for “AERA” usually refer to this association, and the sections below cover the variants people search for: divisions, SIGs, Fellows, membership, the Annual Meeting and its call for proposals.
Who Runs It and What It Covers
AERA’s official site (aera.net) lists its office at 1430 K Street NW, Washington, DC, and describes members as belonging to one or more of 12 divisions and over 150 special interest groups. Membership is handled through the Join / Renew pages on the same site; check them for current categories and dues.
AERA Divisions
The twelve divisions organize the association’s scholarship by area:
- Division A: Administration, Organization, & Leadership
- Division B: Curriculum Studies
- Division C: Learning & Instruction
- Division D: Measurement & Research Methodologies
- Division E: Counseling & Human Development
- Division F: History & Historiography
- Division G: Social Context of Education
- Division H: Research, Evaluation, & Assessment in Schools
- Division I: Education in the Professions
- Division J: Postsecondary Education
- Division K: Teaching & Teacher Education
- Division L: Educational Policy & Politics
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
Beyond divisions, AERA hosts more than 150 special interest groups that focus on narrower topics, populations and methods. The current number varies slightly between pages of the official site, so use the SIG directory on aera.net for the live count.
AERA Fellows
The AERA Fellows program is the association’s recognition for scholars. The official site carries a Fellows page with the current nomination and selection details, which this guide does not restate.
Journals and Research Outlets
AERA’s publications page lists seven journals and notes that non-members can reach them through SAGE or JSTOR. Each is subject to peer review:
- American Educational Research Journal: original empirical, theoretical and methodological research on education and learning.
- Educational Researcher: articles of broad significance to the education research community.
- Review of Educational Research: critical, integrative reviews of education research literature.
- Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis: work of theoretical, methodological or policy interest to educational policy audiences.
- AERA Open: a peer-reviewed open access journal with rapid review and dissemination.
- Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics: statistical methods applied to educational or behavioral questions.
- Review of Research in Education: analytic reviews of selected topics, published as an annual volume.
Grants and Research Funding
AERA lists the AERA-NSF Grants Program among its funding opportunities, with two tracks: Dissertation Grants and Research Grants. Terms and deadlines change, so read the program page before planning an application. The program sits alongside external funders such as the Spencer Foundation grant; see education research funding for the wider picture.
Using the AERA Online Paper Repository
The AERA Online Paper Repository holds abstracts of all scientific presentations given at AERA Annual Meetings since 2010. According to AERA, more than half of these records include full-text papers voluntarily contributed by authors, and each record receives a DOI, described as a persistent identifier that makes the work easier to discover, locate and cite. Because full-text deposit is voluntary, some records have an abstract only. The repository links to the AERA i-Presentation Gallery. When citing a repository paper, copy the DOI from the record itself; for how such identifiers work, see Crossref DOI.
Submitting to the AERA Annual Meeting
Presenting at the Annual Meeting begins with the association’s call for proposals. Submission windows, formats and eligibility change each year and are published on the Annual Meeting pages of aera.net, so confirm them there. Accepted work is later indexed in the repository described above.
Strengths and Limits
- Strengths: a broad structure of 12 divisions and 150+ SIGs; seven journals including an open access title; a searchable archive of meeting presentations back to 2010 with persistent identifiers.
- Limits: full-text papers in the repository are voluntary, so not every record includes one; funding and meeting details change by year and must be checked on the official site.
Alternatives to AERA
Scholars often also belong to regional or specialized societies. The table lists common alternatives and the venue each is known for.
| Organization | Region | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| AERA | United States, international membership | Annual Meeting, Online Paper Repository, seven journals |
| European Educational Research Association (EERA) | Europe | European Conference on Educational Research (ECER) |
| British Educational Research Association (BERA) | United Kingdom | British Educational Research Journal |
| APA Division 15 (Educational Psychology) | United States | Educational Psychologist |
| AACTE | United States | Teacher education; Journal of Teacher Education |
For a statistics society in the same research-publishing landscape, see the American Statistical Association guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many divisions does AERA have?
Twelve, labelled Division A through Division L (listed above). AERA also has more than 150 special interest groups.
What does the AERA Online Paper Repository contain?
Abstracts of all scientific presentations at AERA Annual Meetings since 2010, with full-text papers included in more than half of the records. Each record has a DOI.
How do I submit a proposal to the Annual Meeting (AERA call for proposals)?
Follow the call for proposals published on the Annual Meeting pages of aera.net. Deadlines and formats are set each year, so use the current call.
Which journals does AERA publish?
Seven: AERA Open, American Educational Research Journal, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Educational Researcher, Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics, Review of Educational Research and Review of Research in Education.
Does AERA fund research?
AERA lists the AERA-NSF Grants Program with Dissertation Grants and Research Grants tracks. Check the program page for current terms.
Sources
- American Educational Research Association. About AERA. https://www.aera.net/About-AERA (checked 2026-11-07).
- American Educational Research Association. AERA Online Paper Repository. https://www.aera.net/repository (checked 2026-11-07).
- American Educational Research Association. Journals. https://www.aera.net/Publications/Journals (checked 2026-11-07).
- American Educational Research Association. AERA Grants Program. https://www.aera.net/Professional-Opportunities-Funding/AERA-Grants-Program (checked 2026-11-07).
