Doing Field Research: Practice and Meta-Theory in Counterpoint

Posted: 20 Oct 1998

See all articles by Jane Baxter

Jane Baxter

University of New South Wales

Wai Fong Chua

UNSW Australia Business School, School of Accounting

Abstract

This paper elucidates the craft of doing field research. Our discussion is presented in the form of two parallel texts. One text narrates the practical issues that surround our craft. Where possible, these issues have been illustrated from our own experience in doing management accounting field research. This text is intended to be a useful guide for novice researchers contemplating field research. However, even competent field researchers may practise this craft whilst being only vaguely aware of the larger philosophical currents that their research raises. We raise some of these larger ?meta-theoretical? currents in a second parallel but related text. It is our hope that by raising both practical and meta-theoretical issues, a more critically constituted craft of management accounting field research may emerge.

JEL Classification: M40, M46

Suggested Citation

Baxter, Jane A. and Chua, Wai Fong, Doing Field Research: Practice and Meta-Theory in Counterpoint. Journal of Management Accounting Research, 1998, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=137273

Jane A. Baxter (Contact Author)

University of New South Wales ( email )

School of Accounting
Sydney, New South Wales 2052 2052
Australia
+61 2 9385 5912 (Phone)
+61 2 9385 5925 (Fax)

Wai Fong Chua

UNSW Australia Business School, School of Accounting ( email )

Sydney, NSW 2052
Australia
+61 2 9385 5828 (Phone)
+61 2 9385 5925 (Fax)

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