Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I log onto the Member Portal? To access the Member Portal, you need both a username and a password. If you recently joined AERA by mail or fax, you will receive an email with your member number within a week of the date your membership was processed. If you join online, your member number will be indicated on your confirmation message. Your member number can also be found on your renewal notice and on the mailing labels of the AERA journals you receive. Please note that your member number will not change even if your membership lapses. However, if you are a current member and you use the new member registration process, you may end up with two member numbers. Please contact the AERA Central Office for assistance. To avoid this, use the Renew Your AERA Membership link from your Member Portal homepage.
How do I log out of the Member Portal? To log out of the system, click on the Logout button located at the top of the navigation.
How do I know if I'm already logged into the Member Portal? You will notice a button in the left navigation, immediately below the logout button, labeled Member Homepage. When you are logged in you will see this button wherever you are on the AERA site, except the bookstore because it is a separate web application. Clicking on Member Homepage will return you to the Member Portal homepage.
I can't remember my membership number or my password for the Member Portal. What do I do? If you join online, your member number will be indicated on your confirmation message. Your member number can also be found on your renewal notice and on the mailing labels of the AERA journals you receive. You may also click on Forgot your password or Member ID? on the Member Portal login page. Once you provide your email address or your member number, your member number and password will be emailed to you at the email address we have for you in the membership database. Follow the steps above to have your password emailed to you. Please note that your member number will not change even if your membership lapses.
How do I change my password for the Member Portal? Log in in with your existing username and password, and then go to the My AERA page. Next, select My Profile and it will take you to your Profile page. Go to the Name tab and find the entries Password and Confirm Password at the bottom of the window. You may change your password by entering new information into the text boxes next to the fields labeled Password and Confirm Password. Click on the Save Your Changes button to save the changes. Your password will be updated immediately.
How can I renew through the AERA Website? If it is time for you to renew, you will see Renew Your AERA Membership as one of the options in the Member Portal Menu. To renew your membership online, click on Renew Your AERA Membership. Do not use any links that say Join AERA; they use a process that is for new members only.
After clicking on Renew Your AERA Membership, follow the prompts through three pages, which allow you to review and update your biographical and contact information, select your type of membership, volunteer to be a reviewer for any of AERA's journals, and select your journal subscriptions, divisions, and SIGs. After you complete this information, the fourth screen will show all the items selected in your shopping cart (My Cart). To proceed with your renewal, click on Check Out below the total dollar amount of the items in your cart. This will take you to the payment screen, where you will enter your credit card payment information. After you have entered this information, click Submit Payment. On the final screen you will see a message thanking you for your renewal payment.
If you have already paid for your renewal, the Renew your AERA Membership option will not appear on your Members Only Menu.
I don't see Renew Your AERA Membership as one of the options in the Members Only Menu, so how can I renew online? Your online renewal option will be available three months prior to your membership expiration date. If the online renewal option is unavailable, then your membership is not yet up for renewal. Your current expiration date for your membership can be seen at the top of the Members Only Menu after you log onto the site in the welcome line. For example, Welcome Ima Member to the AERA Member's Site. Your Membership Type is Voting Member 1 Year, and is set to expire on 3/31/2004.
How can I tell if you processed my membership renewal payment? If you recently sent in a renewal payment—either online or by fax or mail—check your expiration date at the top line of the Members Only Menu. You can tell if your payment has been processed by the expiration date. Please keep in mind that it takes approximately two to three weeks to process payments received by fax or mail. Renewal payments done online will be processed immediately.
How do I get a receipt for my membership renewal? If you paid for your membership renewal online, remember to print the final page as soon as your transaction has been completed. You will be sent a confirmation email, which you may also print as a receipt.
How can I tell if my membership is current? You can check your expiration date after you log onto the site. Your name, member type, and membership expiration date all appear at the top of the Members Only Menu
How can I change my address? To change your address, click on Update Your Record on the Members Only Menu after you have logged onto the site, which will take you to the page where you can make changes to your information.
I cannot view the full mailing address for someone I have looked up in the online directory. Why not? The purpose of the directory is to help members connect with one another. Information displayed in the online member directory for each member includes: member name, organization (if included as part of the member’s mailing address), department (if included as part of the member’s mailing address), city, state, postal code, country, email address, and division and SIG memberships. We do not include street addresses in order to protect the privacy of our members.
Is the Member Portal secure for my credit card transactions? The AERA Member Portal is secure for renewing your membership online using a credit card. The security of the site is visible in a number of ways: (1) you will see a message before going to the login page that you are about to view pages over a secure connection, (2) the locked lock icon is visible on the status bar of your browser, and (3) the URL for the secure portions of the site begin with "https".
How can I access the journals online? Online journal access is available to members only. There are two ways to access the journals online. First, as a current member, you may access current and back issues through 1999 of ER and any additional journals you subscribed to. Simply click on Publications from the left navigation of the AERA website, then select Journals. A list of the AERA journals will be displayed. The login for online journal access is your member number preceeded by AERA; e.g., AERA12345. The password is your last name.
The second way to access journals online is via JSTOR. As a current member, you may purchase a subscription to JSTOR for $40, which will allow access to all AERA archived journals through 2001. JSTOR allows access to all AERA journals, not just those you subscribed to with your membership. To access JSTOR via the AERA Website, simply click on Publications from the left navigation, then select Journals. Scroll down to select JSTOR.