Kent Hart John A.

Gumapang
BSA -3A
Accounting Research Methods  Empirical. this means that any conclusion drawn are based upon hard
Fershie D. Yap, Ph.D. evidence gathered from information collected from real life
College of Accountancy and Business Administration experiences or observations
 Critical. critical scrutiny of the procedures used and the methods
CHAPTER 1: RESEARCH INTRODUCTION employed is crucial to a research enquiry.

RESEARCH: Criteria of Good Research

a way of examining your practice…  The purpose of the research should be clearly defined and common
 Research is undertaken within most professions. concepts be used.
 More than a set of skills, it is a way of thinking: examining critically the  The research procedure used should be described in sufficient detail
various aspects of your professional work. to permit another researcher to repeat the researcher for further
 It is a habit of questioning what you do, and a systematic examination advancement, keeping the continuity of what has already been
of the observed information to find answers with a view to instituting attained.
appropriate changes for a more effective professional service.  The procedural design of the research should be carefully planned to
yield results that are as objective as possible.
Definition of Research  The researcher should report with complete frankness, flaws in
 being undertaken within a framework of a set of philosophies procedural design and estimate their effects upon the findings.
(approaches);  The analysis of data should be sufficiently adequate to reveal its
 uses procedures, methods and techniques that have been tested for significance and the methods of analysis used should be appropriate.
their validity and reliability; The validity and reliability of the data should be checked carefully.
 designed to be unbiased and objective  a structured enquiry that  Conclusions should be confined to those justified by the data of the
utilizes acceptable scientific methodology to solve problems and research and limited to those for which the data provide an adequate
create new knowledge that is generally applicable basis.
 Greater confidence in research is warranted if the researcher is
Purpose of Research experienced, has a good reputation in research and is a person of
 To discover answers to questions through the application of scientific integrity.
procedure.
 To gain familiarity with a phenomenon or to achieve new insights into General Overview of Accounting Research
it.  examines how accounting is used by individuals, organizations and
 To portray accurately the characteristics of a particular individual, government as well as the consequences that these practices have.
situation or a group.  both measures and makes visible certain economic events, accounting
 To determine the frequency with which something occurs or with research has studied the roles of accounting in organizations and
which it is associated with something else. society and the consequences that these practices have for
individuals, organizations, governments and capital markets.
 To test a hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables.
 encompasses a broad range of topics including financial accounting
Objectives of Research research, management accounting research, auditing research, capital
Research must be identified by taking the system requirements into account. In market research, accountability research, social responsibility
the process of identifying the objectives of the research, the researcher must research and taxation research.
finalize the following:  can decide and implement new accounting or auditing standards 
 To formulate - develop a study to understand the topic from all presents unusual economic transactions in the financial statements
angles.  learn how new tax laws impact clients and employers
 To be descriptive - to accurately picturize all the characteristics of a  discerns how the accounting profession affects the capital markets
particular process, individual, group, situation or institution through academic accounting research
 To diagnose - to analyst the frequency with which something occurs
Features and Importance of Research in Accounting
 To test hypothesis of a causal relationship between variables -
If you can’t count it, you can’t manage it
hypothesis based research studies.
 Accounting is very deeply rooted profession in almost every facet of
Objectives of Research management, company matters and day to day activities of any
In social set-up, research is carried out with the help of: person or group.
 Research questions – Problems which are resolve till date or not  Accounting research is research on the effects of economic events on
addressed by anyone else like, purpose of the research, place of the the process of accounting, and the effects of reported information on
research, present state of the research and possible ways and means economic events. It encompasses a broad range of research areas
to finding solution to the research problem under study. including financial accounting, management accounting, auditing and
taxation.
 Hypothesis – It is a presumption or assumption about
population/situation under study drawn by researcher himself  Academic accounting research "addresses all aspects of the
accounting profession" using the scientific method, while research by
 Boundary of the study – It is a limit set by research himself to restrict
practicing accountants focuses on solving problems for a client or
his work or to concentrate on specific area in given/available set-up
group of clients.
and resources.
 Academic accounting research can make significant contribution to
 Quantitative objectives - aim to optimize certain measure of
accounting practice
performances of the system of study
 Qualitative objectives - aim to significance of hypotheses of a study of
Accounting Research Topical Areas
importance
 Accounting Information Systems (AIS)
 Studies which address issues related to the systems and
Characteristics of Research
the users of systems that collect, store, and generate
 Controlled. in real life there are many factors that affect an outcome.
accounting information.
The concept of control implies that, in exploring causality in relation
 Users are defined broadly to include those involved in
to two variables (factors), you set up your study in a way that
collection, storage, or use of accounting information or
minimizes the effects of other factors affecting the relationship.
even the implementation of the system.
 Rigorous. you must be scrupulous in ensuring that the procedures
 Research streams include, but are not limited to design
followed to find answers to questions are relevant, appropriate and
science, ontological investigations, expert systems,
justified. The degree of rigor varies markedly between the physical
decision aides, support systems, processing assurance,
and social sciences and within the social sciences.
security, controls, system usability, and system
 Systematic. this implies that the procedure adopted to undertake an
performance.
investigation follow a certain logical sequence.
 Auditing
 Valid and verifiable. this concept implies that whatever you conclude
 Studies in which the topical content involves an audit topic.
on the basis of your findings is correct and can be verified by you and
 vary widely and include, but are not limited to, the study of
others.
the audit environment—external and internal, auditor
decision making, auditor independence, the effects of
Kent Hart John A. Gumapang
BSA -3A
auditing on the financial reporting process, and auditor
fees.
 Financial
 address the topical content of financial accounting, capital
markets, and decision making based on financial
accounting information.
 Managerial
 examine issues regarding budgeting, compensation,
decision-making within an enterprise, incentives, and the
allocation of resources within an enterprise.
 Tax
 examine issues related to taxpayer decision-making, tax
allocations, tax computations, structuring of accounting
transactions to meet tax goals, tax incentives, or market
reactions to tax disclosures.
 Other Topical Areas
 education, methodologies, law, psychology, history, the
accounting profession, work environment, etc.