Welcome to the Accounting Subject Guide
The StMU Library is here to support you with your academic research needs. These subject guides are curated to provide you with the information you need to get started in your course.
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This guide is an excellent starting point for research, but please contact us if you can't find what you are looking for. We're happy to assist you by email, phone a virtual meeting or, if you're near the Library, stop by for a visit.
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Books, journals, and databases help you locate background information, peer-reviewed articles and reference resources.
The web is a goldmine if you know where to look. We've done the mining for you to compile online resources that will make your work easier.
Below are some suggested databases for Accounting.
Databases allow you to search collections of journals, articles, books, topic reviews, evidence-based summaries and drug information. StMU databases include Core Databases which are curated collections focusing on a specific subject area and Multidisciplinary Databases which provide broad subject coverage in all areas of undergraduate study.
Extensive reference content from Gale’s core business collection; easy-to-use company fundamentals and investment research reports; industry rankings, profiles, market share data, company histories, and more.
CBCA Complete is a current events database combining content from four subsets (Business, Current Events, Education, and Reference).
This full text database includes the complete available electronic backfile for most newspapers, providing full access to the articles, columns, editorials, and features. Some backfiles date as far back as the late 1970s and 1980s. Canadian Newsstand content is updated daily so researchers always have timely access to new information
Business Source Complete is the world’s definitive scholarly business database, providing the leading collection of bibliographic and full text content. Additional full text, non-journal content includes financial data, books, monographs, major reference works, book digests, conference proceedings, case studies, investment research reports, industry reports, market research reports, country reports, company profiles, SWOT analyses and more.
Covering all major academic disciplines, Academic Search Elite is a rich resource spanning a broad stretch of academic subjects with thousands of full-text journals and abstracted and indexed journals.
There is nothing wrong with using the internet. You can find very helpful resources on the web but you should know where and when is the right time to use the internet versus a Library database.
Don't hesitate to ask We're happy to assist you in person, by phone, or by MS Teams.
Anytime, anywhere StMU students, staff, and faculty have access to all of the online resources offsite. Simply enter your credentials.
Having problems with offsite access? Make sure you're selecting OpenAthens when given an option. Check out our guide on OpenAthens External Authentication for detailed support.
The StMU Library provides access to hundreds of scholarly journals to keep you up to date with the latest evidence, research, and discussion in your field. If we don't have access to the article you're looking for, fill out an ILL Request and we'll bring in a copy for free. Below you will find links to core, full-text Education journals as well as information about assessing articles found on the web.
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The Accounting Review, published since 1926, is the premier journal for publishing articles reporting the results of accounting research and explaining and illustrating related research methodology. It publishes six issues per year in January, March, May, July, September, and November and is an A* journal indexed in Scopus and SSCI.
The Journal of Accounting Research is a general-interest accounting journal. It publishes original research in all areas of accounting and related fields that utilizes tools from basic disciplines such as economics, statistics, psychology, and sociology. This research typically uses analytical, empirical archival, experimental, and field study methods and addresses economic questions, external and internal, in accounting, auditing, disclosure, financial reporting, taxation, and information as well as related fields such as corporate finance, investments, capital markets, law, contracting, and information economics.
The premier research journal of the CAAA, CAR reflects the worldwide intellectual diversity in accounting research. Ranked on the FT 50 list of top business journals and ranked fourth on Google Scholar’s list of top accounting journals, CAR retained its A* rating on the Australian Business Deans Council Journal Quality List in 2019. CAR‘s 2020 two-year Impact Factor is 3.543, and its 2020 CiteScore is 4.30.
There is nothing wrong with using journal articles you’ve found on the internet, there’s plenty of high quality information out there. But, there are a few things you should know about Academic, Open Access, and Predatory journals before you start.
SCHOLARLY, ACADEMIC, AND PEER-REVIEWED JOURNALS
JOURNALS & ARTICLES ON THE INTERNET
eJOURNALS
Immediate online access
Browse the A-Z listing of all journals available to the StMU community.
NOT A STUDENT?
No problem
Full-text access is available on campus.
STAY CURRENT
Alerts sent to your email
The catalogue is designed with busy researchers in mind. Save searches and receive notifications when new resources become available.
There is nothing wrong with using journal articles you've found on the internet, there's plenty of high quality information out there. But, there are a few things you should know about Academic, Open Access, and Predatory journals before you start.
If you’re new to a subject, reference resources are the perfect place to begin your research.
Resources such as encyclopaedias, handbooks, dictionaries, atlases, and almanacs can provide a concise introduction to a subject and introduce the specialized keywords that will make locating secondary sources more efficient.
Below you will find a listing of print and electronic reference resources to get you started.
The Blackwell encyclopaedia dictionary of accounting
Print resource: REF HF5621 .B54 1998
Dictionary of accounting terms
Print resource: REF HF5621 .S54 2000
The Blackwell encyclopaedia of management: Accounting
Print resource: REF HF5621 .B53 2005
Encyclopaedia of Business
Print resource: REF HF1001 .E466 200
Libraries are filled with books! Many prefer holding a hard copy book instead of an electronic version. Don't worry, we have both available depending on what you like best.
Books are ideal information sources to consult when looking for a comprehensive overview of your topic. Don't see what you are looking for? Ask us about InterLibrary Loans to find a book from another library.
Below you will find a listing of the Library of Congress call ranges associated with Accounting, as well as some suggested subjects and keywords that can be used when searching the library catalogue
HF 1-6182: Commerce
HF 5601-5689: Accounting. Bookkeeping.
HG 1- 9999: Finance
HJ 9-9940: Public Finance
Managerial Accounting
Cost Accounting
Accountants – Professional Ethics
Accountants — Standards
Libraries are filled with books! Many prefer holding a hard copy book instead of an electronic version. Don't worry, we have both available depending on what you like best.
Books are ideal information sources to consult when looking for a comprehensive overview of your topic. Don't see what you are looking for? Ask us about InterLibrary Loans to find a book from another library.
Click and read Immediate access anytime, anywhere.
Available to all Place a Request in the catalogue for quick pickup or visit the library to browse the stacks. .
You can borrow from them too Search and Request books from our SAIL partners (U of C, AU, and BVC) from within the STMU catalogue.
The internet has a wealth of information. Explore grey literature, Open Education Resources and digital repositories to discover information about your subject from all over the world. Below you will find a curated list of web resources.
Below you will find a curated list of web resources.
CPA Virtual Learning Resources
A list of resources provided by the Chartered Professional Accountants Canada that include reading material, podcasts, webinars, and training resources.
Government of Canada Tax Resources
Information from the Government of Canada regarding various tax information that includes guides and explanations of various topics in accounting for individuals, businesses, charities, and trusts.
Financial Reporting & Assurance Standards Canada
FRAS website has links to the Accounting Standards Board, Public Sector Accounting Board, and Auditing and Assurance Standards Board.
It's not always black and whiteGrey literature falls into a 'grey area' of materials produced outside traditional publishing channels. Learn more about grey literature in the Research Tips tab.
Request and you shall receive If you have located an article online that the StMU Library does not have access to through our databases and journals, submit an ILL request and we'll locate a copy at no charge.
Searching academic databases and library catalogues isn’t like searching a browser on the web. To get relevant results, searches must be limited to keywords and subjects, and then joined using Boolean terms.
Below you will find some tips on using Boolean terms with examples tailored to Biology, as well as descriptions of the different types of resources that may be encountered when searching.
Use Boolean search operators AND, OR, and NOT to combine terms and create more accurate searches. This is particularly helpful when you are searching for resources on broader topics, information in a wide variety of formats, and if you don’t know the exact Library of Congress subject heading or title you are searching for.
The Boolean operator AND tells the catalogue to only return results containing all of the specified search terms.
budgeting AND “general accounting”
Profit AND “loss management” AND accounting
The operator AND can be used to combine two or more terms, and can be used in conjunction with other Boolean operators such as truncation and nested terms.
Truncation is a method of broadening a search to include variable word endings. Use the * symbol at the end of a word, or the last point of change, to tell the catalogue to search for multiple word endings.
Account*
will search for Accountant, Accounting, and Account
Strateg*
will search for Strategizing and Strategize.
The operator OR will also broaden searches as it tells the catalogue to return results with either or all of terms entered into a query.
Cryptocurrency OR Bitcoin
will return results containing both cryptocurrency and bitcoin.
Nested Terms is the practice of using brackets, or parenthesis, to determine an order of operations similar to mathematical equations. The catalogue will parse the instructions with the brackets first and then combine the terms with all other operators.
Diversification AND (investments OR capital OR assets)
Use quotes around a phrase or concept to indicate that those terms must be kept together when searching.
“Generally accepted accounting principles”
“balance sheet” AND budget
Large sets of search results can be limited using the operator NOT. This operator tells the catalogue to exclude results containing a certain term.
“Tax schedules” AND Canada NOT “United States”
From your results, select useful titles and click on the hyperlinked Subjects to find other books and articles on your topic.
These are articles reporting on original research and include elements such as a hypothesis, background studies, literature reviews, detailed methodologies, results, interpretations of findings, and discussions on possible implications and future research. Original research articles are typically longer, ranging from 3, 000 – 12, 000 words. These articles are peer reviewed and cite relevant publications from other authors that relate to the research being conducted.
These articles report on the in-depth study of a specific person, group, or event. They are used in a variety of fields such as psychology, medicine, education, political science, and social work in order to seek patterns and causes of behaviour.
A literature review is a systematic summary and synthesis of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers. They frequently convey what knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, as well as critically assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the field. They will often lack a ‘Methods’ section, though they are often peer reviewed.
These reviews are often designed to provide an exhaustive summary of current evidence in relation to a specific research question, synthesize findings qualitatively or quantitatively, and critically appraise research studies. Systematic reviews use rigorous and transparent review methodologies with the aim of assessing and minimizing bias in the findings.
A meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies addressing the same question. The primary aim is to use statistical analyses to determine common truths. Meta-analyses can be part of a broader systematic review.
Including letters to the editor, correspondences, short communications, editorials, pictorial essays
Broadly speaking, gray literature is information produced outside of the traditional academic publishing and distribution systems such as academic journals and monographs. Gray literature can include reports, policies, working papers, newsletters, speeches, government documents, and more.
As gray literature is produced directly by an individual or organization, for their own either use or wider sharing, it is often more current than academic publications as it is not subject to the delays found in traditional publishing processes.
As gray literature does not go through a rigorous peer review process the quality can vary significantly, and it is recommended that these sources be critically evaluated.
These can include scientific studies conducted by Government agencies and NGO which are often not peer reviewed. These types of reports can be found in both scholarly databases and freely on the web.