Paper Development Workshop on Innovative Research Methods in Accounting

15-16 September 2025 | Hanken School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland

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Together with colleagues from Hanken in Helsinki, CUSP researcher Theresa Harrer is hosting a paper development workshop on the topic “From observations to interventions: Rethinking researcher-subject dynamics in qualitative accounting research”. Interested accounting researchers and scholars are invited to submit their work and join the team in Helsinki for what promises to be an exciting two-day exchange.

Closing date for submissions: 16 March 2025.

How can accounting research tackle grand challenges and navigate between activism and scientific rigor?

The accounting field is at a crucial juncture. In the face of global grand challenges such as climate change, social inequality, and economic and political instability, the need for impactful accounting research has never been greater. However, traditional research methods in accounting—primarily retrospective and quantitative analyses of financial data—often fail to provide the insights or tools necessary to holistically engage with these complex issues. For example, traditional research methods such as discourse- or interview-based approaches tend to be insular and reactive, limiting researchers’ ability to contribute to real-time problem-solving and develop theories for (more desirable) futures.

Against this backdrop, innovative research methodologies that embrace more active engagement with research subjects are gaining traction. While such methodologies hold great potential to make accounting research more impactful, they are currently underconceptualised and we lack guidance on how to navigate the delicate path between activism and scientific rigor.

By bringing together leading experts from different fields this paper development workshop aims to bring clarity to innovative research methodologies in accounting and beyond. Specifically, it aims not only to bring clarity to what innovative research means (discussing notably its epistemological approach), but also to help researchers develop their innovative research work so it may match the expected publication standards of respected journals.