Mapping the evolution of fair value accounting research: a bibliometric analysis and future research agenda

Fair value accounting has become a prominent measurement basis in financial reporting following its institutionalization through international accounting standards. Although widely adopted, the intellectual growth of fair value accounting research has not been properly traced. The purpose of this paper is to review the development of fair value accounting research, highlight the prominent and under-researched issues, and suggest future avenues for research. In this research, a bibliometric technique was used based on articles from the Scopus database. Using a systematic search technique on fair value accounting and relevant reporting requirements. After thorough screening and filtering, data were examined using descriptive bibliometric analysis, co-citation analysis, topic mapping, and thematic evolution analysis. The results show that the study on fair value accounting is focused on an intellectual core dominated by fair value measurement, value relevance, and international financial reporting standards (IFRS). Conversely, questions of governance systems, auditing methods, institutional frameworks, comparability, and stewardship are largely underexplored. The area is methodologically mature, but the literature is conceptually unbalanced with an emphasis on decision usefulness rather than accountability viewpoints. The paper proposes that future research should go beyond technical measurement concerns and include governance, institutional, and critical accounting views. These findings contribute to the understanding of the intellectual structure of fair value accounting research and provide insights to researchers, standard setters, and regulators who seek to improve the relevance, credibility, and accountability of fair value measurement in financial reporting.