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Incorporating big data in audits: Identifying inhibitors and a research agenda to address those inhibitors

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  • Alles, Michael
  • Gray, Glen L.

Abstract

With corporate investment in Big Data of $34 billion in 2013 growing to $232 billion through 2016 (Gartner 2012), the Big 4 accounting firms are aiming to be at the forefront of Big Data implementations. Notably, they see Big Data as an increasingly essential part of their assurance practice. We argue that while there is a place for Big Data in auditing, its application to auditing is less clear than it is in the other fields, such as marketing and medical research. The objectives of this paper are to: (1) provide a discussion of both the inhibitors of incorporating Big Data into financial statement audits; and (3) present a research agenda to identify approaches to ameliorate those inhibitors.

Suggested Citation

  • Alles, Michael & Gray, Glen L., 2016. "Incorporating big data in audits: Identifying inhibitors and a research agenda to address those inhibitors," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 44-59.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ijoais:v:22:y:2016:i:c:p:44-59
    DOI: 10.1016/j.accinf.2016.07.004
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Ahmad H. Juma’h & Yazan Alnsour, 2018. "Using Social Media Analytics: The Effect of President Trump’s Tweets On Companies’ Performance," Accounting and Management Information Systems, Faculty of Accounting and Management Information Systems, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 17(1), pages 100-121, March.
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    4. Afsay, Akram & Tahriri, Arash & Rezaee, Zabihollah, 2023. "A meta-analysis of factors affecting acceptance of information technology in auditing," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    5. Ruhnke, Klaus, 2023. "Empirical research frameworks in a changing world: The case of audit data analytics," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 51(C).
    6. Fábio Albuquerque & Paula Gomes Dos Santos, 2023. "Recent Trends in Accounting and Information System Research: A Literature Review Using Textual Analysis Tools," FinTech, MDPI, vol. 2(2), pages 1-27, April.
    7. Li, Pei, 2025. "Application of consumer search volume in auditing," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    8. Ahmed S. Abdelwahed & Ahmad A. Abu-Musa & Hebatallah A. Badawy & Hosam Moubarak, 2025. "Unleashing the beast: the impact of big data and data analytics on the auditing profession—Evidence from a developing country," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-18, December.
    9. Krieger, Felix & Drews, Paul & Velte, Patrick, 2021. "Explaining the (non-) adoption of advanced data analytics in auditing: A process theory," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).
    10. Zhang, Chao & Zhu, Weidong & Dai, Jun & Wu, Yong & Chen, Xulong, 2023. "Ethical impact of artificial intelligence in managerial accounting," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    11. Federica De Santis, 2018. "Big Data e revisione contabile: uno studio esplorativo nel contesto italiano," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2018(2), pages 129-154.
    12. Rakipi, Romina & De Santis, Federica & D'Onza, Giuseppe, 2021. "Correlates of the internal audit function’s use of data analytics in the big data era: Global evidence," Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, Elsevier, vol. 42(C).
    13. Pall Rikhardsson & Kishore Singh & Peter Best, 2019. "Exploring Continuous Auditing Solutions and Internal Auditing: A Research Note," Accounting and Management Information Systems, Faculty of Accounting and Management Information Systems, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 18(4), pages 614-639, December.
    14. Alles, Michael, 2020. "Using the 2019 JBE conference and 2017 JIS themed issue as natural experiments to examine the role of editors as gatekeepers of the research literature in AIS and ethics," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    15. Mihai-Răzvan Sanda & Cristina-Petrina Trincu-Drăgușin & Costin-Daniel Avram, 2022. "The Alignment of INTOSAI and Romanian Public External Audit Standards, Guidelines and Institutional Focus to the Data Driven Context," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(2), pages 418-428, Decembrie.
    16. Saxton, Gregory D. & Guo, Chao, 2020. "Social media capital: Conceptualizing the nature, acquisition, and expenditure of social media-based organizational resources," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
    17. Mihai-Răzvan Sanda & Marian-Ilie Siminică & Costin-Daniel Avram & Luminița Popescu, 2024. "Ghosts in the Machine: How Big Data Analytics Can Be Used to Strengthen Online Public Procurement Accountability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-15, April.
    18. Salonee Patel & Manan Shah, 2023. "A Comprehensive Study on Implementing Big Data in the Auditing Industry," Annals of Data Science, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 657-677, June.
    19. Amir Michael & Rob Dixon, 2019. "Audit data analytics of unregulated voluntary disclosures and auditing expectations gap," International Journal of Disclosure and Governance, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 16(4), pages 188-205, December.
    20. Francis Aboagye‐Otchere & Cletus Agyenim‐Boateng & Abdulai Enusah & Theodora Ekua Aryee, 2021. "A Review of Big Data Research in Accounting," Intelligent Systems in Accounting, Finance and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 28(4), pages 268-283, October.
    21. Jean Robert Kala Kamdjoug & Hyacinthe Djanan Sando & Jules Raymond Kala & Arielle Ornela Ndassi Teutio & Sunil Tiwari & Samuel Fosso Wamba, 2024. "Data analytics-based auditing: a case study of fraud detection in the banking context," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 340(2), pages 1161-1188, September.

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