Accounting articles on developing countries in ranked English language journals: a meta-review

Purpose The paper conducts a metadata analysis of articles on developing countries in highly ranked “international” accounting journals, the topics covered, research methods employed, their authorship and impact, across countries and continents. Design/methodology/approach A database of the publications of accounting journals ranked A*, A and B in the Australian Business Dean Council (ABDC) journal rankings from 2009 to 2018 was constructed. A structured literature review, partly using NVivo and Leximancer, analysed the 1,317 articles on developing countries. A parallel online repository contains the research data. Findings Articles on accounting in developing countries increased by 36% over the ten years but remained a small proportion of all published articles (i.e. 1,317 of 13,805 representing 9.5%). They have concentrated on quantitative market-based studies of financial reporting and auditing, especially in larger and relatively richer developing countries in Asia and Africa, with developed capital markets. Broader topics deemed important in recent reviews of the area, for instance, on achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and on smaller, poorer countries, which have been neglected, albeit less so in qualitative studies. The research identifies important jurisdictional differences. Many authors held positions in British Commonwealth universities. The most cited articles overall, all quantitative, were in highly ranked North American journals, whereas most qualitative studies came from journals located in richer British Commonwealth countries. Research limitations/implications The study only covers English language journals. Journals in other languages and lesser ranked journals, especially those based in developing countries, may be important sources too. Practical implications More research on a broader range of accounting issues, especially in smaller and poorer developing countries, is needed. Although quantitative work is valuable, more recognition of the value of qualitative studies is needed, especially given the disappointing results of market-based policies prescribed by foreign institutions and their shift to advocating good governance reforms and achieving SDGs. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the most exhaustive analysis of recent accounting research on developing countries. It traces which journals have published such research, when, on which countries, on what topics and by whom. This is of interest to journal editors, course designers and researchers in the area. The authors hope that making the raw data and detailed analyses available online, consistent with protocols adopted in science disciplines, will encourage accounting researchers to do likewise to enable further testing of results and claims and build knowledge cumulatively.