Research rap … an unfinished work

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal

ISSN: 0951-3574

Article publication date: 16 September 2013

193

Citation

Irvine, H. (2013), "Research rap … an unfinished work", Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Vol. 26 No. 7. https://doi.org/10.1108/AAAJ-04-2013-1322

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Research rap … an unfinished work

Article Type: Literature and insights From: Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, Volume 26, Issue 7

Let me tell you ’bout the time I went to town
into an organisation – no cap and gown
just business clothes, ’cos I wanted to see
how they did their accounting – if they’d talk to me!
To get a foot in the door was my first concern
so I made a few calls, just hopin’ I’d learn
the best way in ’cos if we could talk
there might be a chance this project could work.

Is accounting just numbers, or is it more?
What’s it mean to you, and what’s it for?

By the end of a year I had data galore –
it was all over my desk and onto the floor
there were transcripts and documents all around
mixed up with meetings and budgets I’d found
helpful yes, but if I didn’t sort them out
I’d end up crazy and start to shout.
My filing system was all over the place
finish my thesis? I was losing the race!

Is this a marathon more than a sprint?
Will I last the distance of this endless stint?

My rellies and friends almost had a fit
when I said I was joining the NUD*IST clique
It’s not what you think, I hastened to say
’though at times it seemed like a weird sort of way
to spend my weeks, when day after day
I’d be coding away when I longed to play
and reading a book or walking the dog
was way down the list past the long hard slog

What’s on telly and what does it matter?
I’ve no time for that or even for chatter!

Shopping for a theory, nearly lost my way
If I could have bought one I’d gladly pay
just to get this thing finished and live the dream
that one day again I’d let off some steam
So days became weeks and weeks became years
with oceans of pain and tissues of tears
but when I finished my thesis that awesome day
… I’d really just started to find my way

When you finish your thesis on that awesome dayyou’ve really just started to find your way

Helen Irvine
School of Accountancy, QUT Business School, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia

Related articles