Mapping experiential finance: an indexing approach to student-managed investment fund (SMIF) research

Purpose The purpose of this study is to systematically map the vast body of academic literature on student-managed investment funds (SMIFs). It categorizes and indexes the research into a database, allowing scholars and practitioners to efficiently navigate decades of literature based on specific structural and operational characteristics. Design/methodology/approach This study employs an indexing methodology to organize the SMIF literature published between 1975 and 2025, classifying collected papers into three groups: surveys, case studies and general research. Findings The vast majority of SMIF research, 97 out of 126 papers included, are case studies. The index documents SMIF exploration from traditional equity and fixed-income investments into alternative assets such as venture capital and crypto assets and covers recent developments in environmental, social and governance investing and artificial intelligence adoption. Twelve surveys provide SMIF landscape snapshots. Nineteen general research papers discuss a wide range of topics such as challenges, fund performance and experiential learning. Institutions and faculty can use these findings to improve existing programs, while schools planning to start SMIFs can investigate various program structures and fund operation styles. Originality/value This study is the first to use an indexing approach to turn decades of SMIF literature into a structured database, acting as an archival “finding aid.” This preserves the operational details provided by fund insiders (the authors), empowering readers to quickly filter the literature and pinpoint the specific research papers that align with their interests.