BERA - British Educational Research Association
For educational researchers the BERA Annual Conference is an important date in their professional year. It provides the opportunity to:
* network with existing colleagues
* support new colleagues at the start of their careers
* establish the beginnings of new collaborations
* exchange ideas with like-minded colleagues; and sometimes more profitably, with non-like-minded colleagues
* make new links with potential publishers or funders
* learn about research outside your own area and investigate possible connections
* indulge in discussions of ‘blue sky’ research that reminds you why you are a researcher
Seasoned BERA delegates could probably add several more reasons of their own as to why they return but for most it is about being part of a community of researchers. A community that is dynamic and changes over time; not just in terms of its members but in the way it does things. Participating in a vibrant conference is one way of making sure that you contribute to that change.