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THE GLOBAL MANAGEMENT SERIES

Research Methods
for Accounting
and Finance

A guide to writing your dissertation

Audrey Paterson, David Leung, William Jackson,

Robert MacIntosh and Kevin O’Gorman

(G) Goodfellow Publishers Ltd

(G)
Published by Goodfellow Publishers Limited,
26 Home Close, Wolvercote, Oxford OX2 8PS
http://www.goodfellowpublishers.com

Published 2016

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data: a catalogue record for this

title is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: on file.

ISBN: 978-1-910158-88-3
Copyright © Audrey Paterson, David Leung, William Jackson,
Robert MacIntosh and Kevin O’Gorman, 2016
All rights reserved. The text of this publication, or any part thereof, may not
be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying, recording, storage in an information
retrieval system, or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher or
under licence from the Copyright Licensing Agency Limited. Further details
of such licences (for reprographic reproduction) may be obtained from the
Copyright Licensing Agency Limited, of Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street,
London EC1N 8TS.

All trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.
The use of trademarks or brand names in this text does not imply any
affiliation with or endorsement of this book by such owners.

Design and typesetting by P.K. McBride, www.macbride.org.uk

Cover design by Cylinder

Printed by Marston Book Services, www.marston.co.uk

Contents

Acknowledgements v

Biographies vi

Preface xiv

1 The Nature of Accounting and Finance Research 1

Audrey Paterson, William Jackson, Moh Sherif, Robert MacIntosh and Nigel Caldwell

2 Formulating a Research Project 23

Mercy Denedo, Andrew MacLaren and Emma Hill

3 Critical Reflections of Academic Literature 41

Anthony Kyiu, Nana Abena Kwansa,
Audrey Paterson, Norin Arshed and Mike Danson

4 Research Philosophy and Paradigm 59

Kevin O’Gorman and Robert MacIntosh

5 Data and Case Study Research in Accounting and Finance 81

Roza Sagitova, Darren Jubb, Anees Farrukh, Angeliki Papachroni and Sean Lochrie

6 Data Sources from Archives to the Internet 101

Darren Jubb, Lubaina Zakaria, Keith Gori and Rodrigo Perez-Vega

7 Methods and Techniques for Qualitative Data Gathering 123

Bridget Ogharanduku, Darren Jubb, Sean Lochrie, Ross Curran and Kevin O’Gorman

8 Evaluating and Analysing Qualitative Data 142

Bridget E Ogharanduku, Lubaina Zakaria, Rafał Sitko and Katherine J C Sang

9 Quantitative Data Gathering Methods and Techniques 168

Ahmed Salhin, Anthony Kyiu, Babak Taheri, Catherine Porter,
Nikolaos Valantasis-Kanellos and Christian König

10 Approaches to Quantitative Data Analysis and Evaluation 187

Stephen Rae, Ahmed Salhin, Babak Taheri, Catherine Porter, Christian König and
Nikolaos Valantasis-Kanellos

11 Ethics, Moral Philosophy and Accounting and Finance Research 211

Audrey Paterson, David Leung and William Jackson
12 Writing Up: A Tool Kit for Constructing your Written Project 239
Robert MacIntosh, Thomas Farrington, John Sanders and Mercy Denedo

Appendices
1 Time Management and Planning Your Research Project 255
John Sanders, Vera Tens and Robert MacIntosh

2 Evaluating Your Research Project 266

Nigel Caldwell and Robert MacIntosh

3 Project Structure and Word Counts 271

Kevin O’Gorman

4 Information and Consent 273

James Richards, Lakshman Wimalasena and Gavin MacLean

Index 275

Firstly ... nothing exists;

secondly ... even if anything exists, it is incomprehensible by man;
thirdly .., even if anything is comprehensible, it is guaranteed to be inexpressible and
incommunicable to one’s neighbour.

Gorgias 500 BC, quoted in Aristotle, De Melisso Xenophane Gorgia 980a:19–20

 v

Acknowledgments
The genesis for this text book arose from the perceived the need for a resource
that reflected the broad research interests of faculty members, which could
stimulate students’ curiosity about research within the accounting and finance
disciplines and, at the same time, also provide essential advice and guidance on
the research process.
There is an extensive source of accumulated knowledge within the School of
Management & Languages at Heriot-Watt University, in the form of both faculty
members and PhD students alike. We decided to put this resource to good use
by utilising this shared knowledge to produce a textbook that reflects the wide
variety of research projects that have been and can be undertaken within the
field of accounting and finance, regardless of where you are based in the world.
While there were a few stressful moments, the execution of this project has been
very collegiate and a lot of fun, and certainly beats working in seclusion!
We owe gratitude to a number of supporters of this project, to whom we wish
to give our thanks. First, to our colleagues at Heriot-Watt University, who were
badgered for information and advice. Second, to our colleagues at Goodfellow
Publishers, who have provided support and advice on the deliverable aspects
of this complex project. We are also indebted to Amber Jasmine Jackson for her
proofreading and copy-editing of the manuscript and the speed and accuracy
of her work. Finally, we would like to thank our families who have provided
encouragement, enthusiasm and endless cups of tea throughout the duration of
this project.
Audrey, David, William, Robert and Kevin
Biographies

Nana Abena Kwansa is a finance PhD candidate at Heriot-Watt University,

Edinburgh. Her research focuses on capital structure of multinational companies
and how markets value international growth opportunities. She received a MSc
in Finance from University of Strathclyde in 2014 and a Bachelor of Commerce
from University of Cape Coast in 2012. Prior to joining the PhD programme she
worked for an investment banking firm in Ghana which specialises in debt and
equity issue and financial advisory.
Norin Arshed is an Associate Professor and the Programmes Director for
Leadership and Organisational Performance suite of postgraduate programmes
in the Department of Business Management at Heriot-Watt University. She is
an economist by background with professional experience both in the public
and private sectors. Her research concentrates on exploring and understanding
the enterprise policy process by applying institutional theory as the theoretical
lens. She is involved with numerous stakeholders which involve government
institutions, think tanks and the private sector.
Nigel Caldwell is a Reader at Heriot Watt School of Management and
Languages. He has worked at Bradford, Plymouth and Bath Universities. Prior
to his academic career, he worked at a leading UK automotive manufacturer.
His research today explores the fields of Operations and Supply Management.
Nigel publishes in journals such as International Journal of Operations &
Production Management and Industrial Marketing Management. He has generated
research income approaching three quarters of a million pounds from the UK
Engineering and Physical Research Council.
Ross Curran is a final year PhD candidate at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh,
where he is a member of the Intercultural Research Centre. His primary research
interests focus on nonprofit marketing and volunteer management practices,
as well as authenticity and heritage in tourists’ experiential consumption. He
has published research in journals including Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector
Quarterly, Tourism Management, and the International Journal of Tourism Research.
Mike Danson is Professor of Enterprise Policy at Heriot-Watt University and
has worked widely on issues about urban and regional economic development,
island and rural economies and enterprises, demographic change, volunteer-
ing, Gaelic, microbreweries and poverty. He has published 14 edited books and
250 papers. He has advised parliaments, governments, and such organisations
as the OECD, European Commission, Scottish Enterprise. Mike graduated
 Biographies vii

with the first DLitt from the University of the West of Scotland in 2012. He is
Treasurer of the Academy of Social Sciences.
Mercy Denedo is a PhD student in the School of Management and Languages
at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Her research interests focus on interdis-
ciplinary studies on accountability and governance in the context of human
rights, corporate social responsibility, counter accountability, stakeholders’
engagement and sustainable development. Her current research explores coun-
ter accountability, human rights accountability and sustainable development
in Africa, especially in Nigeria using a qualitative and interpretive research
approach. Additionally, she is a teaching assistant on a number of accounting
courses at Heriot-Watt University.
Thomas Farrington is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in Management and
Organisation at Heriot-Watt University. His research examines contemporary
issues in business and management through a lens of critical theory. Thomas
has taught at South East European University in Tetovo and at the University of
Edinburgh, from which he received his doctorate. His work has most recently
appeared in the Journal of American Studies, Research in Hospitality Management
and the Journal of Marketing Management.
Anees Farrukh is a PhD student in the School of Management and Languages
at Heriot–Watt University. His PhD aims to shed light on the accountability of
NGOs in Pakistan to address the question of transparency that has emerged
with a massive increase of public, international and private funds. The research
focal point is the educational crises in Pakistan, with emphasis on the role of
NGOs in establishing social justice, change and equality in a society.
Keith Gori is a doctoral researcher in the School of Management and Languages
at Heriot-Watt University. His doctoral research engages with Consumer
Culture Theory, identity and consumer narratives in the context of the British
Home Front during World War Two, and more widely he is interested in con-
sumer culture and marketing history. He teaches on global management and
marketing courses in the Department of Business Management.
Emma Hill is a PhD student in the department of Languages and Intercultural
Studies at Heriot Watt University. She holds a BA(Hons) in English Studies
from the University of Exeter and a MA in English Literary Studies from the
University of York. Her current research is focused on the ways in which
migrant peoples have themselves heard in both the public and private spheres,
particularly with reference to the Somali population in Glasgow. More gener-
ally, her interests include topics concerning migration, identity, memory, place
and text.
viii Research Methods for Accounting and Finance

Amber Jasmine Jackson is a freelance proof-reader and copy-editor. Amber

holds a MSc in Late Antique, Islamic and Byzantine Studies from the University
of Edinburgh and a MA in Classics from the University of Cambridge. She cur-
rently operates as International Projects Editor in the International Reversioning
team of a company that develops digital educational resources for use in around
60 countries throughout the world, in languages such as Brazilian Portuguese,
Slovenian and Malay.
William (Bill) Jackson is Head of the Department of Accounting, Economics
and Finance at Heriot-Watt University and holds a PhD from the University of
Edinburgh. Bill’s research interests are primarily in the history of accounting,
particularly where accounting interfaces with medical practice. Other interests
are in the more contemporary interface between accounting and medical prac-
tice, the history of accounting and popular culture, management accounting
practices in non-Anglo-Saxon contexts and the gendering of the accountancy
profession.
Darren Jubb is a PhD student at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. His primary
research interest is considering the role that accounting plays in shaping popu-
lar culture, with a current emphasis on how accounting influences the cultural
practice of record production. Darren received an MA Hons in Accountancy
from Heriot-Watt University in 2010 before working in professional accountancy
practice for a number of years. During this period he qualified as a Chartered
Accountant with the Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland.
Christian König is a PhD student in the School of Management and Languages
at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He is an active member of the Logistics
Research Centre and his primary research interests focus on the outsourcing
strategies of focal firms and the continuous development of service providers.
In his doctoral thesis, he investigates the role of systems integrators in the
logistics industry using an exploratory approach Christian received an MSc.
in Logistics and Supply Chain Management with distinction from Heriot-Watt
University in Edinburgh in 2012.
Anthony Kyiu is a PhD student and tutor in Finance at Heriot Watt University.
His research examines how ownership structure affects the reaction of stock
prices to corporate information in selected common law African countries. He
holds an MSc in Investment Analysis (distinction) from the University of Stirling,
UK (2014), and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Cape Coast,
Ghana (2012). He is also a graduate of the Institute of Chartered Accountants,
Ghana and an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK).
David Leung is an Associate Professor in Accounting at Coventry University.
David is a qualified accountant and worked as a financial controller and consult-
 Biographies ix

ant in a number of sectors including biotechnology, printing, financial services,

tourism and retail before joining academia. He gained his MBA at Durham
University and his MSc. by Research in Science and Technology Studies, and
PhD in Social Studies of Finance at the University of Edinburgh. He is the author
of Inside Accounting: The Sociology of Financial Reporting and Auditing.
Sean Lochrie is an Assistant Professor in Management at Heriot-Watt University,
Dubai. His primary research interest focuses on the creation of custodianship
behaviours within World Heritage Site management. Recent publications have
explored stewardship and local community engagement in World Heritage Site
management. He has published research in journals including the Journal of
Marketing Management, and the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality
Management.
Robert MacIntosh is Professor of Strategy and Head of School at Heriot-Watt
University. His research focuses on strategy development and organizational
change using methods that include ethnography, video diaries and action
research. He has consulted extensively with public and private sector organiza-
tions and sits on the board of the charity Turning Point Scotland.
Dr Andrew MacLaren is Assistant Professor of Marketing, Heriot-Watt
University. His main research interests focus on the service industry and he is
also CEO of Vuzii, Scotland’s fastest growing technology platform. His outlook
is international and he works throughout Europe, the USA, the Middle East and
India. He has published widely in the field on multiple topics, contributing in
the domains of theory, method and industry practice.
Gavin Maclean is a PhD Student in the School of Management and Languages at
Heriot-Watt University. His PhD thesis examines the work of professional musi-
cians in terms of labour process theory and Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice.
More widely he is interested in sociological study of work and employment
and ‘symbolic’ forms of work, particularly cultural production, public sector
work and multilingualism in the workplace. He teaches on Human Resource
and Critical Approaches to Management courses.
Bridget Efeoghene, Ogharanduku (ACA) is a doctoral student at Heriot Watt
University. Her primary research interest focuses on understanding women’s
experiences within the accountancy profession from a non-western context. She
holds an MSc in Accounting and Financial Analysis (Distinction) from Anglia
Ruskin University where she was awarded the Anglia Trust Scholarship for
graduating as the best international student on the MSc programme. Bridget
obtained her Bachelors in Accounting (First Class Honours) from Delta State
University Nigeria. She teaches on the Research Methods in Accounting course.
x Research Methods for Accounting and Finance

Kevin O’Gorman is Professor of Management and Business History in Heriot-

Watt University. He trained in Glasgow, Salamanca and Rome as a philosopher,
theologian and historian. His research interests have a dual focus: Origins, his-
tory and cultural practices of hospitality, and philosophical, ethical and cultural
underpinnings of contemporary management practices. Using a wide range of
methodological approaches, he has published over 100 journal articles, books,
chapters, and conference papers in business and management.
Angeliki Papachroni is a Research Associate in Strategic Management at Heriot-
Watt University. Her research focuses on issues around dual strategies, strategy
implementation, paradox management and organizational tensions. She holds
a PhD in Strategy and Organizational Ambidexterity from Warwick Business
School. Her work on paradoxes and organizational ambidexterity is published
in Journal of Applied Behavioral Science & Human Relations. Other contributions
include strategic teaching case studies on leading companies published in strat-
egy books and chapters on qualitative research published in research methods
books.
Audrey Paterson is an Associate Professor in Accounting at Heriot-Watt
University and holds a Bcom (Hons), MSc in Social Science Research and a
PhD from the University of Edinburgh. Audrey is currently involved in several
research networks including the Institute of Public Sector Accounting Research
(IPSAR) and is the founder of the Accounting for Society and the Environment
(ASE) research network which meets annually. Audrey is currently respon-
sible for the management of the PhD programme within the Department of
Accounting, Economics & Finance.
Rodrigo Perez Vega is an Assistant Professor in Marketing in the School of
Management and Languages at Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus. He
has experience doing qualitative and quantitative research in online environ-
ments. Prior to finishing his PhD, Rodrigo had marketing experience in several
digital marketing and brand management roles within FMCG and service
industries.
Catherine Porter is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Accountancy,
Economics and Finance at Heriot-Watt University. In the past she has been a
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, and worked for the public sector. She is
an economist, specialising in the economics of developing countries. She has
been involved in the design and fieldwork of several large-scale quantitative
surveys in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam. Her research involves the statisti-
cal analysis of such quantitative surveys to measure poverty.
Stephen Rae is a PhD student in the School of Management and Languages at
Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. His primary research interests lie in how
 Biographies xi

and why companies release information. He received an MA in Accounting

and Finance in 2010 and an MRes in the same in 2011, both from Heriot-Watt
University. He has a further research interest in quantitative methodologies and
their uses following an earlier degree in Statistics, awarded in 2007 from the
same institution.
James Richards is an Associate Professor in HRM in the School of Languages and
Management in Heriot-Watt University, and an Academic Member of the CIPD.
James has published research in HRM journals, edited book collections and
consultancy-based reports. James’ early research projects looked at employee
use of social media for misbehaviour and resistance. More recent research
looks at hidden disabilities in the workplace and in-work poverty. James is the
Research Ethics Officer for the School of Management & Languages.
Roza Sagitova is a PhD student at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. Her
research focuses on corporate environmental responsibility. Roza’s thesis
examines disclosure of greenhouse gas emission information by Russian
companies, motivations for environmental activities and motivations for (non)
disclosure of this information. Her research combines quantitative and qualita-
tive approaches. Roza is a teaching assistant on the Research Methods course
for the Accountancy and Finance disciplines. She holds an MSc in Accounting
and Finance with distinction from Heriot-Watt University.   
Ahmed Salhin is a PhD student at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. His
research interest mainly focuses on behavioural finance and asset pricing.
Ahmed’s PhD thesis investigates the relationship between investor sentiment
and stock returns in the UK. He assists in the teaching of Managing Corporate
Value, Financial Market Theory, and Derivatives courses in the Department
of Accountancy, Economics and Finance at Heriot-Watt University. Ahmed
received a MSc in Finance with distinction from Heriot-Watt University in 2011.
John Sanders is an Associate Professor in Management in the School of
Management and Languages at Heriot-Watt University. He teaches strategic
management courses to both undergraduate and post-graduate students. In
addition, he teaches a small business management course to final year under-
graduate students. Strategic fit within a University setting was the subject of his
PhD. His past research efforts have focused on Internet portals, website quality,
social networks and the market reach of rural small firms in Scotland.
Katherine Sang is an Associate Professor of Management in the Department
of Business Management. Using feminist theory, her research examines how
gender inequality is maintained in male dominated professions, including
the creative industries and academia. In addition, Kate is researching gender
and in-work poverty and supervising PhDs exploring organisational culture,
xii Research Methods for Accounting and Finance

gender and behaviour change. Kate chairs the Feminist and Women’s Studies
Association UK & Ireland.   
Mo Sherif is an Associate Professor of Finance. He received his PhD from the
University of Manchester, Manchester Business School, UK. He is an interdis-
ciplinary finance researcher whose initial contributions to the finance literature
are in entrepreneurial and behavioural finance, stock trading strategies and
asset pricing fields. He is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK
and a member of American Finance Association in the USA. He is currently
the Director of Postgraduate Taught Programmes in Finance (AEF) at SML at
Heriot-Watt University.
Rafał Sitko is a Ph.D. student in Business and Management at Heriot-Watt
University with research interests primarily in diversity management and inclu-
sion. His work focuses on explaining intersections of privilege and oppression
in a workplace and their effects on migrants’ work experience. Rafał received
an MSc from Queen Mary, University of London (2012) and a BA in Psychology
and Management (2011) from University of Bradford. During student exchange
programs Rafal also studied at Hosei University in Tokyo (2010) and Vrije
Universiteit in Amsterdam (2009).
Babak Taheri is an Associate Professor in Marketing at the School of Languages
and Management, Heriot-Watt University. His research has a dual focus:
1) unpacking and theorising cultural consumption experiences; 2) services
marketing management. He has published over 50 articles, book chapters and
conferences papers in these areas. His recent work has appeared in Annals of
Tourism Research, Tourism Management, Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly,
International Journal of Hospitality Management, Journal of Travel & Tourism
Marketing, Journal of Marketing Management and Consumption, Markets & Culture.
Vera Tens has an engineering degree in Wood science and technology from a
German university and an MBA from Edinburgh Napier University. She is cur-
rently in the process of finishing her doctoral research at Heriot-Watt University
on the subject of future generations in family firms, considering it from a stake-
holder perspective. Her general research interests are in family businesses and
the implications for practitioners, policy development and education.
Alastair Watson is Assistant Professor of Management in the School of
Management and Languages, at Heriot-Watt University Dubai Campus. His
primary research interest is the commitment and motivation of staff in the
UK hospitality industry, and the application of Goffman’s theory of Total
Institutions. Other areas of interest include employee and organisational
spirituality and commitment, and further understanding people’s desire, as
opposed to their need, to work.
 Biographies xiii

Nikolaos Valantasis-Kanellos is an Assistant Lecturer in Logistics, in the

National Institute for Transport and Logistics, Dublin Institute of Technology.
His research draws upon contemporary developments in operations manage-
ment, and the value creation within business networks. He currently researches
the formation of Service led Strategies of ports and intermediaries. Nikolaos
received an MSc in Logistics and Supply Chain Management from Heriot-Watt
University (with distinction) and a BA in Economic and Regional Development
from the Panteion University, Athens.
Lakshman Wimalasena PhD is an Assistant Professor of Management, in the
School of Management and Languages, Heriot-Watt University and obtained
his PhD in Management also from Heriot-Watt University. He is a graduate
in human resource management, and also holds an MBA and a postgraduate
diploma in social research methods. His main research interests are the mean-
ing of work, social inequality, diversity, agential reflexivity, habitus and critical
issue in human resource management. His doctoral study explores the MoW
within a postcolonial society, Sri Lanka.
Lubaina Zakaria is a PhD student at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.
Her research interest lies within critical discourse of narrative reporting and
specifically focuses on how organisations use symbolic discourse via social
media in crisis situation. Lubaina received MSc in International Accounting
and Management with distinction from Heriot-Watt University in 2013. Prior to
that, she had eight years of working experience with Petronas, a Malaysian oil
and gas company.
 xiv

Preface

The primary purpose of this book is to provide some insights into the practice
and experience of doing research. It is aimed primarily at accounting and finance
students undertaking research for the first time. The book aims to demystify the
research process by providing the novice researcher with a guide through all
of the stages of the research process from identifying a research topic to the
finished project. The book has adopted an accessible writing style and utilises a
variety of methods to carefully link the subject matter and topics. The text is sup-
plemented with appropriate examples and reflective exercises to support your
skills and knowledge development. Each chapter includes a useful reference list
and suggested further readings. While the book is predominantly targeted at
accounting and finance students the subject matter covered is also applicable to
interdisciplinary research and is thus suitable for those undertaking a research
project in other social science subjects.
The book opens with an exploration of the nature and scope of research
within the disciplines of accounting and finance; various aspects of the research
process and the more specific skills required when conducting a research project
within these subject groups. Following this, we provide some ideas and insights
into how to identify a suitable research project and stress the importance of
understanding and contextualising your research ideas within prior literatures
in order to create a space for your research topic. The research process invari-
ably involves reading and synthesising a large volume of academic literature. In
Chapter 3 we highlight the importance of the literature review as the underpin-
ning of the research project. The various approaches to conducting a literature
review, the importance of critically analysing the literature and presentation of
logical and coherent arguments that relate to your project are emphasised.
While there are some distinct traditions within accounting and finance
research, there is no single ‘right’ way to conduct research. Indeed, as will be
exemplified within various chapters of this text book, accounting and finance
research has many philosophical traditions, data gathering approaches and
methods of analysis. Bearing this in mind, Chapter 4 will arm you with the
insights required to choose which type of research you will undertake and with
the vocabulary to locate your choice amongst the wider set of available research
traditions.
The various areas of accounting and finance research have different traditions
for conducting research, which will have a direct impact on the researcher’s
 Preface xv

choice of data collection method. As such it is necessary to consider a number

of factors such as validity, reliability and generalisability of the data intended
for use within your research project. These are neatly outlined within Chapter 5.
Two broad approaches to the collection of qualitative data: historical
research and the utilisation of the internet and social media as a social research
tool are addressed in Chapter 6. Both historical sources and the presence of
online resources offer a diverse range of approaches to the collection of data
during your research project. However, collecting this material alone does not
offer you the opportunity to infer conclusions or answer your research ques-
tions. Consideration also has to be given to the appropriateness and suitability
of the analytical techniques employed for your study. Thus, Chapter 7 discusses
some common approaches to qualitative research methods as outlined in the
Methods Map presented in Chapter 4 and the issues that must be considered
with their application.
Qualitative research often generates a large amount of data that is of varying
quality and usefulness. The process of navigating through this vast amount of
data can be overwhelming for even the most experienced researcher. Moreover,
interpreting your findings can be time consuming and difficult. Chapter 8 pro-
vides a useful guide on how to transcend beyond describing what participants
have said or what you have observed or discovered in documents, to actually
analysing and engaging with the data. Some of the most common approaches to
analysing qualitative data are discussed. Potential challenges you may encoun-
ter are highlighted. Suggestions are made where each approach is considered
more appropriate for a particular research area or data.
Much of the research conducted within accounting and finance is concerned
with analysing and solving problems. These problems come in many forms, can
have common features and often include numerical information. It is therefore
important that researchers who are interested in researching such problems
develop competency in the use of a range of quantitative data gathering and
analysis methods. Thus Chapters 9 and 10 focus on methods of collecting quan-
titative data, and tools for conducting statistical and quantitative analysis.
Research is essentially about the production of knowledge but in the pursuit
of generating this knowledge we must also take into consideration that the
research community has a responsibility, not just to pursue knowledge or objec-
tive truth but also to the subject of their enquiry and its participants. Keeping
this in mind, it is therefore important when conducting any research project to
review the ethical position regarding your study and to be aware of and adhere
to ethical and professional codes of conduct. Ethical issues and research codes
of practice are thus outlined in Chapter 11.
 Preface xvi

For many people, their dissertation or research project represents the largest
piece of written work they will have had to produce. Academic writing is quite
different to other kinds of writing, however, as with any other form of writing,
academic writing also relies on a strong narrative thread. As such sufficient time
and effort should be applied to writing up your project as logically, coherently
and precisely as possible. Advice on the writing process is therefore provided
in Chapter 12.
Finally, while research is often presented as a logical flow, the reality is
that as you progress through your project you often have to visit each of the
stages more than once triggering the need to reflect and refine your thoughts
and interpretations on the associated issues along the way. Whilst you may feel
anxious about the prospect of conducting a research project, the advice and
examples used in this book will help you to break this large piece of work down
into a set of interrelated tasks in a way that will also allow you to bring them
back together into a coherent whole. Having set the scene, you are now ready
to work your way through the book gathering skills, techniques and insights as
you go.
We wish you luck and enjoyment on your research journey!
Audrey, David, William, Robert and Kevin

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