The potential for greater use of meta-analysis in archival auditing research

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the increasing potential demand for meta-analysis studies in auditing. The paper includes a review of a new technique and meta-regression analysis, and explains its advantages in comparison to meta-analysis techniques used in prior auditing research. It also discusses opportunities for applying meta-analysis to auditing topics and potential pitfalls. Design/methodology/approach: The paper provides a review and commentary on meta-analysis techniques used in auditing research, especially for meta-analyses of empirical archival studies that use regression models. Findings: There is now considerable potential for meta-analysis to have an impact on auditing policy and regulation. Researchers using meta-analysis should make use of the most current techniques (e.g. meta-regression), which are more reliable and allow researchers to explore more issues about the research. Originality/value: The paper informs auditing researchers about methods to advance their research and increase its usefulness.