Beyond the Ivory Tower: Sharing Accounting Research with Non-Academics

Abstract

Accounting scholarship currently stands at a juncture. Researchers can continue to publish on the same topics in the same journals that only a handful of other scholars with similar expertise read, or they can share their work with non-academic audiences. This need not be a binary choice, but, if we wish our field and our very jobs to continue, scholars need to traverse the proverbial road less traveled and disseminate our work outside the narrow silos of subject matter expertise. Being a junior researcher, I have a strong incentive to see accounting scholarship thrive; I agree with Denison et al.’s assessment that, “accounting’s important social role imposes responsibilities on those defining and studying that role" (2014, page 113). Sharing our work outside the confines of academia is a foundational responsibility all researchers share. In this proposal, I will discuss why accounting scholars should venture beyond the Ivory Tower, outline specific ways to initiate this journey, and summarize the institutional obstacles to sharing our scholarship.