Does the Formal Understanding of Qualitative Research Enhance the Assessment of Risk in an Audit?

Abstract

Although auditing appears rooted in mathematics and positivist science, the implementation of risk-based auditing has required more qualitative evaluations of evidence. As organizations become more complex and leadership structures become more convoluted, the evaluation of audit evidence can benefit from the application of qualitative research methods and therefore adding qualitative research to accounting curricula should be considered. This paper documents the exploration of how accounting curriculums might benefit from the inclusion of qualitative research methods and methodologies.