University of Akron professor discusses benefits of Ideagen Audit Analytics
Dr. Thomas Calderon, chair of the George W. Daverio School of Accountancy and professor of accounting at the University of Akron, recently took a minute to explain how faculty and students at his institution have benefited from using Ideagen Audit Analytics.
Individuals use Ideagen Audit Analytics data for both research and teaching. The professors, of course, often rely on Ideagen Audit Analytics databases to perform their scholarly research.
But at the GW Daverio School of Accountancy, candidates for a master’s in accountancy are also expected to conduct unique research for a handful of their classes, which include subjects such as enterprise risk assessment, accounting and assurance, and enterprise systems and internal controls.
Many students turn to Ideagen Audit Analytics to get the data they need for their assignments in these fields. In addition, they use this resource for their spreadsheet modeling and advanced spreadsheet modeling classes.
What is one of the biggest benefits of Ideagen Audit Analytics?
When asked what the single greatest benefit is to using Audit Analytics, Dr. Calderon replied that simply
having so much data readily available is the greatest benefit. Before Ideagen Audit Analytics, researchers had to hand-collect this information, which could take months or even years to complete.
Since this rich data is now at students’ and faculty’s fingertips, research is easier than ever. Further, the information makes projects that were formerly unrealistic feasible.
“With Ideagen Audit Analytics , the situation is completely different,” he said. “It pretty much involves
planning your project, getting the data needed and building your project around the available data.
This compares to spending between two and three years collecting data, and then not being completely sure what you have.”
With Ideagen Audit Analytics, the situation is completely different. It pretty much involves planning your project, getting the data needed and building your project around the available data. This compares to spending between two and three years collecting data, and then not being completely sure what you have.
What database do you use the most?
Like so many other Ideagen Audit Analytics users, Dr. Calderon stated there was no single database he used most often, but instead, used “everything across the board,” including:
- Director & Officer changes
- Internal controls
- Audit fees
- Comment letters
He added that the students are heavy users of the various data sets, perhaps even more than the faculty, partly since there are more students and partly because the professors like to assign research projects to the students.
“To a very large extent, Ideagen Audit Analytics has been an outstanding resource for us,” Dr. Calderon said. ”Everyone has benefited, including both faculty and students.”
Are there any specific publications that we could mention in this article that Ideagen Audit Analytics helped craft?
The professor pointed out an article on non-timely filers, which was published in the International journal of accounting information systems (“Analyzing late SEC filings for differential impacts of IS and accounting issues, ” 2010, Vol. 11, No. 3).
He asserted that producing this piece would have been impossible without the data available through the audit and compliance modules.
The professor wanted to add something about the staff at Ideagen Audit Analytics.
“They are outstanding,” he said. “They are always available, and they certainly have returned all of my calls in a very, very timely manner.”
Before Ideagen Audit Analytics, researchers had to hand-collect this information, which could take months or even years to complete.
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