How to Create a Practitioner-Focused Academic Research Synthesis

ABSTRACT Practitioner-focused research syntheses are widely used in many disciplines as an effective, routine means to transfer knowledge from research to practice. We suggest that accounting academics develop research skills to enable them to create a practitioner-responsive research synthesis. We provide a step-by-step primer for conducting and reporting results on a focal research question in a research synthesis. We draw from our experience in creating a practitioner-validated research synthesis on issues related to group audits to illustrate the process concretely. This paper addresses the mindset necessary to assemble and convey research findings relevant to practitioners. Our goal is to equip accounting researchers with tools to develop high-quality research syntheses comparable to those that other disciplines use in communicating with their practitioner communities.