Using Public Inquiries as a Data Source for Accounting Research: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This paper aims to bring to the attention of the accounting research community the opportunities and challenges associated with using public inquiry data for accounting research. We have conducted a systematic review of prior contributions in accounting that incorporate public inquiry data, and identify trends in the types of inquiries, data, and analytic techniques used within the existing literature. Extending out of this analysis, we identify three broad lines of enquiry within accounting research that can be informed by public inquiry data, and provide guidance for future research in the form of specific research topics, questions, and exemplars that illustrate the possibilities of this empirical approach. Finally, we articulate the limitations of public inquiry data and identify strategies researchers may use to realize these possibilities in their own research endeavors.