Technology, Accounting, and Research

SYNOPSIS The article provides a primer on accounting from the vantage point of technology and is written for a broad audience beyond accounting academics. I make four points. First, accounting itself is a technology, and I use double-entry bookkeeping (DEB) as an example. Second, accounting evolved as businesses adopted new technology and engaged in new types of transactions. Third, the tension between the two primary objectives of financial reporting—valuation and stewardship—has been an undercurrent in the development of generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S. Last, accelerated technological advances present an increasingly daunting challenge for accounting and exciting opportunities for accounting researchers.