Mapping a Field's Development: 20 Years of ABFM Conferences

Public budgeting and financial management has grown into a vibrant and productive research field of study with multiple journals and conferences devoted to the topic. One way to map the field's development is to examine the participants and topics covered in its longest‐running dedicated gathering of researchers, the 20 annual conferences of the Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM). This article traces the 20‐year history and composition of ABFM in terms of the participants and topics. It documents the evolution of the field and provides clues to the future direction of public budgeting and financial management published research.