This doctoral course introduces students to the process of developing, writing, and positioning accounting research for publication in leading international journals. The course combines insights into the editorial and review process with hands-on feedback on participants’ own research ideas.

The course is structured in two parts. The first part provides an overview of the publication process in top accounting journals, including the characteristics of high-quality research, differences across leading journals, and the expectations of editors and reviewers. Particular attention is given to identifying promising research questions, developing a clear contribution, aligning the research design with the underlying research question, and writing a compelling introduction. The course also discusses common reasons for desk rejections, frequent writing and positioning pitfalls, and strategies for communicating the “so what?” of a study clearly and convincingly.

The second part is organized as a research development workshop. Participants present their own research ideas or early-stage projects and receive structured feedback. The feedback focuses on the importance and novelty of the research question, the clarity of the contribution, the fit between theory, research design, and empirical setting, and potential concerns that reviewers and editors may raise. Students will learn how to refine, reposition, and strengthen their projects with a view toward developing publishable accounting research.

Please note that the second part of the course will take place from 14–18 December 2026. Specific appointments will be announced as soon as possible.  

After completing the course, students should be able to:

• understand the expectations of leading accounting journals and the role of editors and reviewers in the publication process;
• assess whether a research idea is likely to make a meaningful contribution to the accounting literature;
• articulate the novelty, relevance, and “so what?” of a research project;
• evaluate whether a proposed research design is suitable for answering the research question;
• write and structure a compelling introduction for an academic accounting paper;
• present a research idea concisely and respond constructively to editorial-style feedback;
• revise and reposition an early-stage research project for greater impact.

Course Format

The course combines lectures, discussion of examples from published and unpublished research, editorial-style analysis of papers and introductions, and workshop-style feedback on participants’ own research projects. Active participation is expected.

In addition, the course includes individual one-to-one meetings with the instructor. These meetings allow participants to receive more tailored feedback on their specific projects.

Student Preparation

Participants should prepare a short research pitch or proposal before the course. The proposal may relate to a dissertation paper, an early-stage research idea, or a project currently under development. The proposal should briefly describe the research question, motivation, expected contribution, empirical setting, research design, and current challenges.

• Active participation and discussion: 30%
• Research pitch or proposal presentation: 30%
• Revised research proposal or reflection memo: 40%

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