1. BERA Keynote Symposia

BERA invites submissions of abstracts for 6 Keynote Symposia on themes the authors consider to be of special interest to the wider membership. The BERA Keynote Symposia occupy a privileged position in the conference programme and are selected by an open competition. Submissions not selected as BERA Keynote Symposia will automatically be entered for consideration for a session in the Main Conference programme. Keynote Symposia consist of three or four individual papers addressing a common theme or issue and the submission should identify a convenor and a discussant for the session. Keynote Symposia are allocated 90 minute slots in the programme and will be timetabled in one session with three or four symposia running in parallel.

2. Main Conference Symposia

Symposia for the main conference programme occupy 90 minute slots and normally consist of a three or four linked individual papers. The symposium should also have a discussant. The format for the symposia can be in an alternative form such as a workshop or a panel discussion; you are advised to contact In Conference for details about submitting such proposals. It is also possible to propose a series of linked symposia. Abstracts that are intended to form a series of symposia should be submitted separately with a note to indicate the links to the other symposia. It should be noted that the quality of each submission will be reviewed independently. Proposals for Symposia are not eligible for submission to the Early Career Researcher Conference. 

3. Main Conference Individual Papers

Individual Papers are grouped in sets of three papers in 90 minute slots; each paper is allocated 30 minutes including discussion time and the session is chaired by one of the presenters.

4. Early Career Researcher Conference Individual Papers

Individual Papers are grouped in sets of three papers in 75 minute slots; each paper is allocated 25 minutes including discussion time and the session is chaired by a BERA Member.

5. Main Conference and Early Career Researcher Conference Posters

Posters are usually graphic presentations which are displayed on boards during the conference. Presenters also make the abstract summarising their poster available as part of the display. Posters will be displayed on boards that are 1m x 2.00m and should not exceed 1.5 m in length. A prize will be offered to the best poster in each category during the awards ceremony at the conference.

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Submission of Abstracts

The abstracts for each paper (including those which form part of a symposium) should address the following:

• Background to the topic
• Research questions/focus of the enquiry
• Research methods and/or mapping of the literature
• Analytical and/or theoretical framework
• Research findings and/or contribution to knowledge

IMPORTANT NOTE
The template for the abstract will be a single text box (up to a maximum of 400 words) in which to satisfy the criteria.  Papers that do not satisfy the criteria will be rejected. Please note that the submission should not exceed the word limit.

1. BERA Keynote Symposia

Submissions should include:

• Title, convenor and discussant with their affiliations.
• 400 word overview of the symposium
• 400 word supporting statement indicating the relevance of the theme/issue as a keynote symposium in accordance with the following selection criteria:
• Quality of the research
• Timeliness
• National/international significance
• Impact on practice, policy or theory
• The names of the authors of each paper and their affiliations
• 400 word abstract for each paper.

2. Main Conference Symposia

Submissions should include:

• Title, convenor and discussant with their affiliations.
• 400 word overview of the symposium
• 400 word abstract for each paper.

3. Main Conference and Early Career Researcher Conference Individual Papers 

• The name(s) of the author(s) of the paper and their affiliation(s).  If the paper has multiple authors then an ‘author for correspondence’ should be identified.
• 400 word abstract for each paper.

4. Main Conference and Early Career Researcher Conference Posters

Submissions should include:

• 400 word overview of the content

Procedure of the Review Process

• Relevance of the topic to BERA members
• Clarity of research question(s) and/or focus of enquiry
• Appropriateness of research method(s) and/or literature
• Robustness of analytical and/or theoretical framework
• Significance for educational practice, policy or theory

Judgments will be made by rating each of the criteria on a six point scale and papers will be accepted or rejected on the basis of the average total score.

27-30 definitely accept

23-26 recommend accept

19-22 possible accept

15-18 possible reject

10-14 recommend reject

0-9 definitely reject 

Symposia Review

With regards to symposia, a total score will be calculated by aggregating scores of individual papers.  Convenors of symposia need to be aware that symposia will be accepted/rejected based on the average scores awarded to each paper therefore a weak paper could result in a symposium being rejected.

In the case of a symposium being rejected, submission should indicate whether the authors wish the symposium to be rejected as a whole or whether any individual papers judges as being part of a sufficiently high standard should be put forward as individual papers.

Exceptions

• BERA Keynote Symposia will be reviewed by two members of BERA Council and/or the National  Advisory Panel using the Keynote Symposia selection criteria as well as the generic criteria.

• Papers submitted to the Early Career Researcher Conference are not peer reviewed.

• Posters submitted to the Early Career Researcher or the Main Conference are not peer reviewed. 

Special Interest Groups