Strengthening Experimental Research
Exploring Methods and Best Practices
Strengthening Experimental Research
AuditChat #3
August 23, 2023
Key Highlights
Declining Experimental Studies
Experimental submissions to AJPT dropped to less than 10% in 2022, raising concerns about the future of audit experimental research.
Participant Access Challenges
Researchers face increasing difficulties in accessing professional auditors as study participants, especially post-COVID.
Increasing Experiment Requirements
The average number of experiments per paper has risen from 1.16 to 1.74, putting additional strain on limited participant resources.
The Debate: Challenges and Opportunities
Challenges
Legal and Regulatory Hurdles
Firms face increasing legal scrutiny, making it harder to approve research access
Topic Approval Difficulties
Certain research topics, especially those related to ethics, face challenges in gaining firm approval
Low Response Rates
Particularly for remote/online studies, getting adequate participation has become increasingly difficult
Opportunities
Practice-Relevant Research
Focusing on topics directly applicable to audit practice could increase firm support and participation
Improved Academic-Practitioner Communication
Enhanced dialogue between researchers and firms could lead to more mutually beneficial research projects
Rethinking the Review Process
Reconsidering the demand for multiple experiments could help preserve scarce participant resources
Audit Chat: Strengthening Experimental Research
In our third AuditChat session, we explored the challenges facing experimental audit research and brainstormed potential solutions. Our distinguished panelists shared insights on the declining trend in experimental studies, the difficulties in accessing audit participants, and strategies for making research more relevant to practitioners.
Key Topics Discussed
- The drop in active experimental studies and its implications for audit scholarship
- Challenges in accessing audit participants, especially post-COVID
- The increasing demands for multiple experiments in research papers
- Strategies for making academic research more valuable to practitioners
- Potential solutions for revitalizing experimental auditing research
Current Landscape
Chris Agoglia presented data showing a significant decline in experimental submissions to top journals, highlighting the urgency of addressing this issue.
Challenges in Participant Access
Bette Kozlowski and Dan Sunderland shared insights on the difficulties firms face in providing access to audit participants.
Featured Speakers
Chris Agoglia
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Chris Agoglia is a professor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and a former senior editor of Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory (AJPT).
Bette Kozlowski
Director, KPMG
Bette Kozlowski is a director at KPMG, focusing on faculty relations and academic relations. She has been involved in reviewing and facilitating research projects since 2013.
Dan Sunderland
Professor of Practice, Northeastern University
Dan Sunderland is a professor of practice at Northeastern University and former chief auditor at Deloitte. He has extensive experience in bridging academic research and audit practice.