REVISED: Submission Deadline June 1, 2026.
(The original dates have been changed to reduce conflict with other related conferences.)
The symposium aims to bring together researchers, educators, practitioners, and students to share and discuss current issues and challenges in accounting ethics.
The paper presentations will include a panel discussion of the paper by the authors, an academic discussant, and a practitioner discussant to encourage dialogue between academics and the profession on relevant ethics issues.
Symposium Details
The symposium will be held on September 17 and 18, 2026, in Toronto, Ontario.
Submissions that are accepted for the symposium may be considered as submissions to a special section of an issue of the journal Accounting and the Public Interest.
Theme: ACCOUNTING ETHICS
We encourage researchers to submit papers that address any aspect of accounting ethics, using any research methodology (e.g., empirical archival, experimental, analytical, or other methods). The following topics are only some examples of possible areas of interest, but they are not meant to be exhaustive or restrictive:
- The ethical considerations in using AI, machine learning, blockchain, or big data in accounting practices.
- Psychological and organizational factors that influence ethical or unethical choices.
- Ethical considerations in ESG metrics, reporting transparency, and stakeholder impacts.
- The effectiveness, ethical implications, and psychological burden of whistleblowing within accounting firms.
- Tax avoidance and tax planning in a global context.
- The tension between managerial duties and ethical responsibilities when dealing with internal financial information.
- Variations in ethical accounting practices across different cultural, economic, or political landscapes.
- The ethical challenges faced by accountants in government and non-profit organizations.
- Ethical considerations during financial crises, pandemics, or other emergency situations.
- The ethical dilemmas involved in reporting on social impact, employee welfare, and community engagement.
The symposium encourages submissions that adopt an interdisciplinary, comparative, or critical approach to accounting ethics. The symposium also welcomes papers that explore the collaboration and communication between academics and practitioners in accounting ethics.
Paper Submission Process
Papers should be submitted electronically as a PDF file to Jenny Rothwell at jrothwell@uwaterloo.ca by July 1, 2026. Papers should be original and not previously published. If the paper is currently under review elsewhere, authors must disclose this at the time of submission. Papers should be written in English and follow the APA style. Papers should have an abstract of no more than 250 words.
Papers will be reviewed by a panel of experts and selected based on their relevance, quality, originality, and contribution to the field of accounting ethics. Accepted paper authors will be invited to submit to the journal Accounting and the Public Interest, where they will go through the journal’s review process. Acceptance to the symposium does not guarantee acceptance to the journal.
Notice of acceptance will be sent by July 15, 2026.
Papers accepted subject to revision must be revised by August 31, 2026.
