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Accounting & Finance: Topics/Keywords

Accounting & Finance

Keywords to Try When Searching

Place quotation marks around phrases of more than 1 word when searching. (EX: "market research"). This list includes topic/keyword ideas for beginning accounting and finance research.

  • account
  • accounting period
  • accounts payable
  • accounts receivable
  • accrual basis
  • accruals
  • amortize
  • appreciation
  • asset management
  • assets (current, fixed, intangible)
  • audit
  • balance sheet
  • bond
  • breakeven point
  • capital
  • cash flow
  • contingent liabilities
  • cost of sales
  • cost of goods sold
  • credit
  • debit
  • depreciation
  • dividend
  • 80-20 rule
  • equity
  • expenditure
  • fiscal year
  • fixed asset
  • goodwill
  • inventory
  • liabilities
  • liquid
  • marginal cost
  • net worth
  • opportunity cost
  • overhead
  • profit & loss
  • return on investment (ROI)
  • revenue
  • Sarbanes Oxley 404 (SOX404)
  • Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  • trial balance
  • variable cost










     


NOTE: the search shown above is for example-sake only and may not reflect accounting and finance topics.

 

Subject Headings to Try When Searching

When using an EBSCO database to search subject terms, change the "Select a Field" option to indicate "SU Subject Terms."  Place quotation marks around your subject terms as indicated above.

Accounting:

  • accounting services
  • accounting standards
  • accounting -- customer services
  • accounting -- study & teaching
  • data analysis
  • statements of standard accounting practice




     

 

Finance:

  • cash flow
  • corporate profts -- measurement
  • corporations -- finance
  • finance -- research
  • financial services industry
  • financial statements -- law & legislation
  • financial transactions processing
  • gross domestic product
  • investments
  • investment advice


     


NOTE: the search shown above is for example-sake only and may not reflect accounting and finance topics.

Finding and Narrowing a Topic

Find ideas in the syllabus, your text, class discussion, or Google News.

   Narrow down a broad topic by asking yourself
   the 5 W's: who? what? where? when? why?

   As you search the databases, looking at
   subject headings and abstracts can help you
                focus your topic.

Boolean Operators

Using Boolean operators (AND, OR, and NOT) with your keywords will help you narrow or expand your results.

The highlighted middle section represents the use of AND. Searching for poverty AND addiction will give you results with both words present. Therefore, your results are fewer.

Using OR between similar keywords will give you results that include both words. Therefore, your results are greater. A search for teenagers OR adolescents will retrieve either or both terms.

The NOT operator gives you results from only one of your words. Therefore, your results are fewer. Searching for addiction NOT alcohol will eliminate alcohol from the results.

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