Guide to Intermediate Accounting Research

Increasingly, accounting research and communication skills are being regarded as fundamental to success in our profession. Professionals who excel in these areas will likely experience a distinct competitive advantage relative to their peers. At the same time, in today's highly regulated business climate, the consequences of inadequately researching and documenting accounting judgments can be severe (e.g., PCAOB or SEC enforcement actions). Recognizing the importance of research skills, research simulations are now a key component of the national CPA exam. What's been missing, until now, is a high-quality guide that is hands-on and teaches students these important skills. In this guide, students will learn to confidently address and communicate accounting research issues, from start to finish. Students will not only take away the ability to identify the accounting problem (the "researchable question"), but will gain experience locating and applying guidance within the FASB Codification. In learning to use the Codification, students will have the opportunity to apply guidance to a variety of actual accounting topics. Recognizing that students cannot learn to research simply by reading about research, the guide offers students numerous opportunities to actively apply what they have learned.