The essay argues that theory-based research enhances auditors’ judgments and addresses critical issues in accounting, suggesting collaboration is essential.
This essay is based on my American Accounting Association (AAA) Presidential Scholar Lecture delivered at the 2025 AAA Annual Meeting in Chicago. In this essay, I assert that theory-based scientific research is the best way to solve the practical—and existential—problems that threaten the accounting profession. I provide an example based on my own research into auditors’ judgments about complex estimates. I further argue that, although academic researchers and accounting practitioners share goals regarding the success and legitimacy of the accounting profession, their roles and responsibilities differ. I encourage accounting researchers to address the big problems facing the profession through independent development of generalizable knowledge, and I ask practitioners to support the research endeavor.
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Kathryn Kadous (2025) studied this question.
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