A note on the key issues in the context of doing Finance and Accounting dissertation projects
A note on the key issues in the context of doing Finance and Accounting dissertation projects (information from perplexity.ai)
My question 1: "Please briefly describe, with illustrative examples, the following 9 key issues to examine in Finance and Accounting dissertation projects:
1. research issues (including research gaps)
2. Finance and Accounting practitioners' practice concerns
3. research objectives
4. research questions
5. research methodology
6. research methods (including their data gathering and data analysis tasks)
7. academic, practical and originality values of the dissertation projects
8. dissertation project scope
9. primary and secondary data"
The reply: "1–2 sentences are expected for each issue, so the following keeps things brief but concrete, using Finance/Accounting–style examples throughout.
1. Research issues and gaps
Research issues are the broad problems or tensions in existing Finance/Accounting knowledge that the dissertation will investigate, such as mixed evidence on whether dividend policy affects firm value in emerging markets.
A research gap is the specific missing piece in prior studies, for example “limited evidence on how dividend stability influences valuation of REITs in Hong Kong after recent regulatory changes.”
2. Practitioners’ practice concerns
Practice concerns are the real problems faced by managers, analysts, auditors or regulators that motivate the project, such as CFOs struggling to assess the earnings quality of firms adopting new revenue recognition standards.
Another example is internal auditors worrying whether current analytics-based procedures are sufficient to detect fraud in SMEs that have recently implemented cloud accounting systems.
3. Research objectives
Research objectives state what the dissertation aims to achieve in clear, outcome‑oriented terms, for example “to evaluate the impact of IFRS 16 on leverage and profitability ratios of listed retail firms in Singapore from 2018–2024.”
They often combine theory and practice, such as “to assess whether fair value measurements improve investors’ ability to predict future cash flows in Hong Kong property companies.”
4. Research questions
Research questions translate objectives into precise questions the study will answer, often starting with “how,” “to what extent,” or “why.”
For instance: “To what extent did adoption of IFRS 16 change debt covenant violations among SGX‑listed firms?” or “How do sell‑side analysts incorporate ESG disclosures into equity valuations in Asian banks?”
5. Research methodology
Research methodology is the overall logic and philosophy of the inquiry (e.g. positivist, interpretivist, mixed‑methods) and the broad design (e.g. archival quantitative study, multiple‑case qualitative study, explanatory sequential mixed‑methods).
Example: a positivist, deductive archival study testing agency theory using panel regression on listed firms’ financial statements, versus an interpretivist multiple‑case study exploring management accountants’ roles in start‑ups through interviews.
6. Research methods, data gathering and analysis
Research methods are the specific tools and procedures used, such as:
- Data gathering: extracting secondary data from Bloomberg or annual reports; administering online questionnaires to finance managers; conducting semi‑structured interviews with auditors.
- Data analysis: running panel regressions on capital structure determinants; using event study methods around earnings announcements; performing thematic coding of interview transcripts on audit judgement.
7. Academic, practical and originality values
Academic value refers to how the dissertation extends or tests theory, for example refining pecking order theory using new evidence from highly leveraged Asian family firms.
Practical value is the usefulness to practitioners or regulators, such as providing a ratio‑based red‑flag model that helps auditors identify likely misstatements, while originality is the novel angle (new setting, data, model, or combination) like the first study on blockchain‑based audit trails in Hong Kong SMEs.
8. Dissertation project scope
Scope defines boundaries of what is included and excluded so the project is feasible and coherent.
For example, focusing only on non‑financial listed firms on the Hong Kong and Singapore exchanges from 2015–2024, examining the effect of IFRS 9 on loan‑loss provisioning, and explicitly excluding banks and unlisted firms.
9. Primary and secondary data
Primary data are collected directly by the researcher for the project, such as survey responses from finance directors about capital budgeting practices or interview transcripts from Big 4 audit partners.
Secondary data already exist and are repurposed for the study, such as financial statements, Datastream/Bloomberg datasets, market prices, regulatory filings, or prior survey databases on corporate governance."
My question 2: "Where do these 9 issues normally appear in an F&A dissertation report: chapter 1 (introduction), chapter 2 (literature review), chapter 3 (research methodology), chapter 4 (presentations of research findings, chapter 5 (discussion of findings), and chapter 6 (conclusions and recommendations)?"
The reply: "In Finance and Accounting (F&A) dissertations, the 9 key issues from the prior discussion map to standard chapter structures, typically spanning Chapters 1–6. These placements ensure logical progression from problem identification to conclusions. The following outlines their primary locations with examples tied to an F&A context, such as a study on IFRS impacts on Hong Kong REITs.
Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter sets the stage by introducing context and focus.
- Research issues (including gaps), practitioners' concerns, research objectives, research questions, and project scope appear here to justify the study. For example, it highlights gaps in dividend stability research for Asian REITs, CFO concerns on lease accounting, objectives like "evaluate IFRS 16 effects," questions such as "How does IFRS 16 alter leverage ratios?", and scope limited to HKEX-listed REITs 2019–2025.Primary/secondary data may be previewed briefly as part of objectives.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
This chapter synthesizes prior work to refine the project's foundation.
- Research issues/gaps and practitioners' concerns are deepened here through critical review of studies, e.g., contrasting U.S. vs. Asian evidence on earnings quality under new standards.Academic value (theory extension) emerges via identified gaps, such as underexplored blockchain in audit trails.
Chapter 3: Research Methodology
This chapter details the study's design and justifies its rigor.
- Research methodology, research methods (data gathering/analysis tasks), and primary/secondary data are central, e.g., positivist design with panel regression on Bloomberg secondary data plus surveys (primary) of HK finance directors.Scope is reiterated for feasibility, excluding banks.
Chapter 4: Findings
This chapter objectively presents results without interpretation.
- No primary placement for the 9 issues; it operationalizes methods by reporting data analysis outputs, e.g., regression tables showing IFRS 16's leverage impact.
Chapter 5: Discussion
This chapter interprets findings against objectives and literature.
- Research objectives, questions, issues/gaps, academic/practical/originality values are revisited, e.g., linking results to agency theory (academic value), auditor tools (practical), and novel HK REIT data (originality).
Chapter 6: Conclusions and Recommendations
This chapter synthesizes and looks forward.
- All issues converge: restating objectives/questions achieved, values (e.g., policy advice for SGX regulators), scope limitations, and future research on data types/methods.Practitioners' concerns are addressed via actionable recommendations."
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