LibGuides: Accounting: Accounting Research 101 (2024)

Accounting Research in 10 steps –

  • Establish the facts or identify the issues.
    • To begin the research process one needs to the “why” and “what” of the problem
    • Define the problem clearly and concisely
  • Generate a list of keywords and concepts.
    • Look at the clearly defined research problem, identify the keywords
    • Examine the index of accounting handbooks and/or textbooks for established accounting terminology.
  • Check out the AICPA website.
    • http://aicpa.org
    • Under the Research tab members have access to white papers, standards and surveys.
  • Locate an overview of the research problem.
    • The best place to start are handbooks or with accounting standards.
  • Identify authoritative pronouncements.
    • Accounting research relies on authoritative precedents disseminated by recognized standard setting bodies such as FASB or IASB.
  • Locate articles regarding the research problem.
    • Online databases such as ABI/Inform, Factiva, and Lexis-Nexis aggregate information from journals, magazines, trade journals, and newspapers.
  • Google it.
    • But, be aware of freely available information, make sure information located in a Google search can be verified by information found in Accounting Standards or articles from the databases such as ABI/Inform
  • Search investment research reports.
    • Investment research reports can be found in database such as ABI/Inform, Factiva, Mergents, Morning Star Investment Research Center and Valueline.
    • Pay attention to the Financial Footnotes where significant accounting policies will be disclosed.
  • Examine financial statements.
    • Annual as well quarterly financial filings are available from the Security & Exchange commission, (http://sec.gov) for free.
    • Financial data can be found in databases such as Factiva and Mergents.
    • Pay attention to the Financial Footnotes where significant accounting policies will be disclosed.
  • Putting it all together.
    • Identify the purpose
    • Identify the audience
    • Identifythe context
    • Identifyall of the facts and ideas
    • Organize facts and ideas
    • Identify the best medium forthe message
LibGuides: Accounting: Accounting Research 101 (2024)

FAQs

What does accounting 101 consist of? ›

Course Topics

Study balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements. Find out how to prepare different financial statements and about the auditing process. Take a look at accounting equations, source documents, categorizing transactions and recording business transactions.

What is accounting 100 words? ›

The practise of recording a business's financial transactions is known as accounting. As part of the accounting process, these transactions are collated, reviewed, and reported to oversight organisations, regulatory agencies, and tax collection organisations.

What is the best way to learn accounting? ›

Step-by-Step Guide
  1. Step 1: Understanding the Accounting Equation. ...
  2. Step 2: Familiarize Yourself with Financial Statements. ...
  3. Step 3: Learning to Record Business Transactions. ...
  4. Step 4: Posting Journal Entries to the Ledger. ...
  5. Step 5: Prepare the Trial Balance. ...
  6. Step 6: Make Adjusting Entries. ...
  7. Step 7: Prepare Financial Statements.
May 30, 2023

How is accounting research done? ›

Academic accounting research addresses all areas of the accounting profession, and examines issues using the scientific method; it uses evidence from a wide variety of sources, including financial information, experiments, computer simulations, interviews, surveys, historical records, and ethnography.

Is accounting 101 hard in college? ›

How Hard is Basic Accounting? Accounting is a complex field with a lot of intricacies, but the foundational concepts should be fairly easy to pick up for most students. Again, it takes a good eye for detail to become an accountant and even your Introduction to Accounting class shouldn't be a walk in the park.

What are the 3 golden rules of accounting? ›

The three golden rules of accounting are (1) debit all expenses and losses, credit all incomes and gains, (2) debit the receiver, credit the giver, and (3) debit what comes in, credit what goes out. These rules are the basis of double-entry accounting, first attributed to Luca Pacioli.

How to do well in an accounting exam? ›

How to Study Effectively for Accounting Certification Exams: 11 Simple Tips
  1. Create a schedule. ...
  2. Make use of study aids. ...
  3. Take practice tests. ...
  4. Get plenty of sleep. ...
  5. Eat healthy. ...
  6. Take breaks. ...
  7. Find a study partner. ...
  8. Set goals.
Jul 28, 2022

Can accounting be self-taught? ›

In short, you can. There are online learning options that can take you through the basics of accounting to help either kick-start your degree or upskill for your career.

Is accounting easy to pass? ›

The overall CPA Exam pass rates hover slightly below 50%. This makes passing the CPA Exam a difficult, but achievable, goal. You'll need to study wisely, set a strategy for managing your time, and call on your support network, but with the right plan and good study materials, you will conquer it.

How to pass an accounting class? ›

I recommend a process that includes twelve steps: (1) know what the professor expects, (2) be your own teacher, (3) work hard from the first day, (4) attend every class, (5) take good notes, (6) participate in class, (7) read the textbook several times, (8) look for patterns, (9) do the homework, (10) study with a ...

How do you start accounting research? ›

10 Steps in accounting research
  1. Establish the facts or identify the issues. ...
  2. Generate a list of keywords and concepts. ...
  3. Locate an overview of the research problem. ...
  4. Identify authoritative pronouncements. ...
  5. Locate articles regarding the research problem. ...
  6. Google it. ...
  7. Search investment research reports. ...
  8. Putting it all together.

How to learn accounting step by step? ›

Begin your financial accounting education by learning how to read and analyze three key financial statements: the balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement. These documents contain valuable information about your company's spending, earnings, profit, and overall financial health.

What is the problem of accounting research? ›

The central problem of accounting research is that there is no known theory to use as a reference for creating hypotheses or models to be empirically researched. The absence of theory can be seen in education, practice, and the research literature itself.

Is financial accounting 101 hard? ›

Generally speaking, accounting is overall a difficult major, but financial accounting is a very straightforward class in the beginning. Financial accounting class teaches you the fundamentals of accounting.

What are the 5 major things in accounting? ›

Five main types of accounts appear in a COA: assets, equity, expenses, liabilities, and revenues.

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