The disclosure of research and development in financial statements: evidence from an IT sector. Literature review

Abstract

Purpose: Based on a literature review, the article identifies the main areas of research related to the issue of disclosure of information on research and development (R&D) activities in the financial statements of companies in industries that use high technology Methodology/approach: The article uses a literature review of scientific articles indexed in three databases – Scopus, Science Direct, and SAGE Journals Findings: The results of the literature review are presented in three identified research areas regarding the disclosure of information about R&D activities: Area I – the extent of R&D information disclosure in financial statements; Area II – R&D disclosures and their impact on selected financial categories; Area III – the impact of non-financial fac-tors on the extent of R&D information disclosure. Research limitations/implications: The limitation to the articles that examined fi-nancial statements prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards does not make it possible to relate the results directly to the practice of Polish accounting. However, they inspire a more detailed analysis of the accounting law applied in this area in Poland. Practical implications: The article raises awareness about managing and reporting information about R&D activities in corporate reporting. Originality/value: The conclusions drawn from the report may encourage research in previously unexplored research areas, with an emphasis on qualitative research.