On October 17, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) concluded its 12th annual Conference on Auditing and Capital Markets, an event designed to foster rigorous economic research on audit-related topics, including the economic impact of auditing, audit regulation, and audit oversight on capital markets.
The two-day conference, held this year in conjunction with The Accounting Review, drew more than 115 researchers from around the world to Washington.
“A sound and sustainable approach to audit regulation depends on having access to data-driven assessments of how standards and rules ultimately impact auditing and, by extension, the users of financial statements,” said PCAOB Acting Chair George R. Botic. “The academic community has long played an invaluable role in that regard, and the insightful studies presented this year strengthen the foundation for evidence-based auditing standards and rules.”
Ten research papers were chosen for presentation at the conference out of 88 submitted in response to the PCAOB’s call for papers. The papers presented addressed:
- Auditing and management disclosures
- Private equity investment in accounting firms
- The labor market for auditors
- Auditor independence
- The impact of regulation on non-capital market audits
The papers were selected for presentation following a blind review by a program committee of PCAOB staff and academic experts. The Accounting Review will invite those authors whose projects appear particularly promising to submit that research for review and consideration for publication.
“The research presented at this conference is essential to advancing evidence-based oversight and policy,” said Dr. Joshua T. White, the PCAOB’s Acting Chief Economist and Director of its Office of Economic and Risk Analysis. “By delivering high-quality, data-driven insights, these studies not only expand our knowledge of how audits and audit regulation affect the capital markets, but also directly enhance the PCAOB’s ability to protect investors.”
The conference agenda is available on the PCAOB website. Links to the working papers presented at the conference will remain available through November 21, 2025. After this date, interested parties should contact the authors to obtain the most current versions of their papers.
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About the PCAOB
The PCAOB is a nonprofit corporation established by Congress to oversee the audits of public companies in order to protect investors and further the public interest in the preparation of informative, accurate, and independent audit reports. The PCAOB also oversees the audits of brokers and dealers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including compliance reports filed pursuant to federal securities laws.
