Now in its 20th edition, "Advances in Accounting" continues to provide an important forum for discourse among and between academic and practicing accountants on issues of significance to the future of the discipline. Emphasis continues to be placed on original commentary, critical analysis and creative research - research that promises to substantively advance our understanding of financial markets, behavioral phenomenon and regulatory policy. Technology and aggressive global competition have propelled tremendous changes over the two decades since AIA was founded. A wide array of unsolved questions continues to plague a profession under fire in the aftermath of one financial debacle after another. This volume of "Advances in Accounting" includes articles reflective of recent economic distress: articles on the effects of post bankruptcy financial reporting, measurement of decline in earnings persistence, re-estimations of bankruptcy prediction models, and an understanding of new assurance needs. It also looks at trends of significance to academics (trends in research and dissertations focus) and practitioners (trends in IS audits). With this 20th volume, "Advances in Accounting" makes a new commitment to the global arena by introduction of an International Section and a new international associate editor. As never before, the accounting profession is seeking ways to reinvent itself and recapture relevance and credibility. AIA likewise continues to champion change through this revised global editorial commitment.