The accounting academic

Purpose – This paper aims to consider the accounting academic, the environment in which the academic operates and the challenges they face. Design/methodology/approach – This paper explores a number of issues relating to the accounting academic. The five papers that make up the special issue are located within a framework which is used to illustrate how each one contributes to the field. This paper is primarily discursive in nature. Findings – The theoretical, methodological and empirical approaches used in the papers that make up this special issue are described. In addition, the paper suggests that the accounting academic will remain a fertile area for future research. Practical implications – This portrayal of accounting academics is of interest to accounting researchers, accounting historians, university managers and individual academics. Originality/value – This special issue provides a range of examples of research relevant to the accounting academic and sets an agenda for future research.