Welcome to the Survey Research in Education Special Interest Group — SRE SIG — of the American Educational Research Association. I am honored to serve as chair and look forward to working with our members, as we continue to strengthen SRE SIG through our shared passion for all things survey research. I hope to continue the legacy of the SIG as a home for scholars, practitioners, and students interested in the design, implementation, analysis, and use of survey research in education.
Survey research is vital to educational inquiry and abounds at AERA. There were over 580 sessions that touched on survey research at the AERA 2026 Annual Meeting, with content from first-time to expert surveyors, employing basic to state-of-the-art methods; yet, only four were hosted by the SRE SIG. Thus, we have a great opportunity and potential for the SIG to grow. Towards this end, the SIG will:
- Encourage colleagues, from graduate students to experienced professionals, to submit papers and posters for AERA 2027.
- Encourage colleagues to volunteer as reviewers, discussants, and session chairs.
- Put out targeted calls for session proposals.
- Propose joint sessions with other SIGs and Divisions.
High-quality survey research depends on the contributions of multiple areas of expertise. Within SRE SIG, we are fortunate to bring together survey methodologists, psychometricians, substantive survey researchers, evaluators, policy scholars, and others whose work is deeply interconnected. Each of these communities offers distinctive insights, methods, and perspectives — from questionnaire design and sampling to measurement, validity, data quality, interpretation, and the application of survey findings to important educational questions.
As chair, one of my priorities is to foster collaboration across these areas of expertise and to create opportunities for members to learn from and with one another. Survey methodologists help us strengthen the processes through which survey data are collected. Psychometricians advance the quality and interpretation of measurement. Substantive researchers identify the pressing educational questions that surveys can help illuminate and ensure that findings are meaningful for research, policy, and practice. The success of each area depends, in many ways, on the others. Our SIG is at its best when these perspectives are in conversation.
I also hope to expand SRE SIG’s collaborations and partnerships across AERA. By building stronger connections with other AERA communities, SRE SIG can support broader conversations about the role of survey research in education while also contributing methodological guidance, measurement expertise, and substantive insight.
Whether you are a long-time SRE SIG member or are newly exploring our community, we welcome your participation. Your expertise, questions, and ideas are essential to the continued growth of the SIG. I look forward to working together to strengthen survey research in education and to build meaningful partnerships across AERA.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Albrecht, Ph.D.
Chair, Survey Research in Education SIG
American Educational Research Association