Focus And Scope

Advanced Forensic Accounting Innovation
Focus & Scope

Focus and Scope

Advanced Forensic Accounting Innovation (ADFAN) is an international peer-reviewed open-access journal dedicated to publishing rigorous empirical, theoretical, and methodological research that advances forensic accounting through innovative data-driven analytics. ADFAN prioritizes evidence-based investigation, fraud detection, robust measurement, and transparent analysis to bridge academic scholarship with investigative and courtroom practice.

Priority orientation: ADFAN encourages studies with strong research design (experimental/quasi-experimental, case-based analytics, archival data analysis, mixed methods with explicit protocols) and robust analytics (statistical modeling, econometrics, network analysis, text mining, simulation) with clear contributions to theory, practice, and investigative standards.

Thematic Clusters

1. Fraud Detection & Predictive Analytics ????

Anomaly detection and outlier identification in financial data
Benford's Law extensions and digital frequency analysis
Red flag scoring models and risk assessment frameworks
Predictive modeling of financial statement fraud and earnings manipulation

2. Digital Forensic Accounting & E-Evidence ????

Extraction and analysis of structured/unstructured digital traces
Email network forensics and communication pattern analysis
Metadata integrity verification and tampering detection
Chain of custody documentation and digital evidence admissibility

3. Money Laundering & Illicit Financial Flows ????

Transaction mapping and suspicious activity identification
Shell company detection and beneficial ownership analysis
Graph analytics for cross-border fund tracing
Trade-based money laundering and trade finance anomalies

4. Litigation Support & Damages Quantification ⚖️

Innovative models for economic damages and lost profits
Business interruption calculations using large-sample data
Valuation disputes and post-acquisition forensic review
Expert witness analytical frameworks and courtroom presentation

5. Behavioral Forensics & Deception Analysis ????

Linguistic cues of deception in financial narratives and disclosures
Interview analytics and psychometric indicators of unethical intent
Cognitive bias in forensic judgment and investigative decision-making
Neuroaccounting approaches to fraud detection and deterrence

6. Whistleblowing & Investigative Analytics ????

Quantitative assessment of tip credibility and reporter motivation
Organizational response effectiveness and case outcome analytics
Hotline data mining and pattern recognition
Whistleblower protection and psychological safety measurement

7. Cryptocurrency & Blockchain Forensics ????

Wallet clustering and on-chain transaction analysis
Tracing illicit value through decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols
Cryptocurrency seizure, recovery, and evidentiary standards
Smart contract auditing and exploit forensics

8. Investigative Visualization & Dashboards ????

Design of visual analytics for forensic hypothesis testing
Courtroom presentation tools for complex financial evidence
Link analysis, timeline reconstruction, and flow visualization
Dashboard development for continuous fraud monitoring

9. Methodological Innovation & Replication ????

New forensic sampling protocols and audit testing frameworks
Novel statistical tests for fraud indication and materiality
Replication studies that strengthen evidential standards
Open-source tools and benchmark datasets for forensic accounting

Out of Scope (Desk Reject Criteria)

ADFAN does not consider manuscripts that are purely legal commentary, unsupported conceptual frameworks without empirical application, descriptive case studies lacking analytical novelty, or papers outside forensic accounting and data-driven investigation. Submissions must demonstrate conceptual clarity, methodological rigor, and relevance to advancing forensic accounting research and investigative practice.

Our Commitment to Quality and Publication Ethics

Advanced Forensic Accounting Innovation (ADFAN) is committed to publishing research that is scientifically rigorous, ethically sound, and internationally relevant. All submissions undergo an initial editorial screening to ensure scope fit, academic contribution, and ethical compliance. ADFAN follows the core practices and guidance of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Manuscripts that do not meet these foundational criteria may be declined at the desk review stage to safeguard publication integrity and reviewer resources.