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Still flickering at the margins of existence? Publishing patterns and themes in accounting and finance research over the last two decades

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  • Brown, Rhoda
  • Jones, Michael
  • Steele, Tony

Abstract

This paper reviews the last 24 years of academic accounting in the UK, using survey data collected every 2 years by the British Accounting Association (BAA). Over this period, the number of academic accountants more than doubled, the number of full professors rose from 42 to 247, the proportion of staff with a Ph.D. rose from 9% to 39%, the proportion with a professional qualification fell from 73% to 50%, the proportion of academics with no publications fell and the proportion publishing in refereed journals rose. The analysis of the BAA data produces several other findings. First, the overall level of publications reached a peak in 2000 and declined thereafter. Since 1982–1983 there has been a distinct downward trend in the number of journal articles published each period per head, although from year to year the changes are more uneven. Second, very few UK academics publish in the journals, which are identified (by published ranking surveys) as being top international journals, with the exception of Accounting, Organizations and Society. Third, very few UK academics publish in the set of journals which they themselves rate the most highly in terms of quality and which are published primarily in the US. Fourth, the contribution made by UK academics to the international literature also increased, in terms of volume, up to the year 2000 and declined thereafter. Fifth, there has been a move away from publishing in mainstream accounting journals and professional journals. The paper considers some of the implications of these trends for the future of research, for teaching, for the individual progress of UK accounting academics, for the development of the discipline and for the international competitiveness of UK accounting research.

Suggested Citation

  • Brown, Rhoda & Jones, Michael & Steele, Tony, 2007. "Still flickering at the margins of existence? Publishing patterns and themes in accounting and finance research over the last two decades," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 125-151.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bracre:v:39:y:2007:i:2:p:125-151
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bar.2007.03.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Brinn, Tony & Jones, Michael John, 2008. "The determinants of a successful accounting manuscript: Views of the informed," Accounting forum, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 89-113.
    2. Hussain, Simon, 2010. "Accounting journals and the ABS quality ratings," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(1), pages 1-16.
    3. Dixon, Keith, 2013. "Growth and dispersion of accounting research about New Zealand before and during a National Research Assessment Exercise: Five decades of academic journals bibliometrics," MPRA Paper 51100, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Brown, Rhoda & Jones, Michael, 2015. "Mapping and exploring the topography of contemporary financial accounting research," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(3), pages 237-261.
    5. Smith, Sarah Jane & Urquhart, Vivien, 2018. "Accounting and finance in UK universities: Academic labour, shortages and strategies," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(6), pages 588-601.
    6. Duff, Angus & Marriott, Neil, 2017. "The teaching-research gestalt in accounting: A cluster analytic approach," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 413-428.
    7. Andrikopoulos, Andreas & Kostaris, Konstantinos, 2017. "Collaboration networks in accounting research," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 1-9.
    8. Christoph Endenich & Rouven Trapp, 2016. "Cooperation for Publication? An Analysis of Co-authorship Patterns in Leading Accounting Journals," European Accounting Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 613-633, September.
    9. Tony Brinn & Michael John Jones, 2008. "The composition of editorial boards in accounting: a UK perspective," Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 21(1), pages 5-35, January.
    10. Jayne Bisman & Weini Liao, 2009. "Making the mainstream," Asian Review of Accounting, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 17(3), pages 180-197, September.
    11. Maria-Victoria Uribe-Bohorquez & Juan-Camilo Rivera-Ordóñez & Isabel-María García-Sánchez, 2023. "Gender disparities in accounting academia: analysis from the lens of publications," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 128(7), pages 3827-3865, July.
    12. Brooks, Chris & Schopohl, Lisa, 2018. "Topics and trends in finance research: What is published, who publishes it and what gets cited?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(6), pages 615-637.
    13. Rosenstreich, Daniela & Wooliscroft, Ben, 2009. "Measuring the impact of accounting journals using Google Scholar and the g-index," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 227-239.
    14. Andrew Higson & Rasha Kassem, 2016. "Accounting Research: Relevance Lost," FINANCIAL REPORTING, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2016(1), pages 59-76.

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