XBRL Panel -- Bill McCarthy

• Researcher (?)• Professor of Accounting at Michigan State

University– more IT than accounting– more design science than empirical

• Business Process standards worker• Topics:

– ebXML progress and fit with XBRL– Research opportunities

• Design science• Empirical science

Origins of my (biased) views

FSA & ELOISE (KEE & Lisp) knowledge

structures

semantic modeling in DB, AI, OO

AA-AI group work on EDGAR

in 86-87

Semantic nets for text

Chart of accounts

Semantic Modeling

• transactions & commitments

• reporting

• controls

XBRL

• reporting

• transactions

• controls

Comparison & connection of ebXML (UN/CEFACT) with XBRL (AICPA)

• ebXML progress – Fast start but slow progress and migration (OASIS, OAG, OMG)

• Some specs progress to ISO• BP catalog & classification repository• Business process semantics & choreography

– BP metamodel– Business entities (states) & collaboration patterns– ebXML stack– Connection with XBRL

• Bill for one year

• UN/CEFACT – not much

Research Opportunities – (DS)

• XBRL & other XML initiatives are exciting & hard topics (don’t come in with weak skills)

• Design Science = building (constructs, models, methods, instantiations) and evaluating (same) HMPR link

• DS opportunities– Building of new design artifacts for XBRL (tools,

taxonomies)– Evaluating of existing artifacts (XLink, taxonomies, best

methods & practices, instantiations)

Research Opportunities – II (empirical)• Traditional Financial reporting with new decision scenarios

for analysts & investors– Instant Compustat & other data aggregators– New tool & technology use– Other reporting issues (access accounting, interactive

data)– Opportunity not yet ripe but will be soon (AAA report)

• XBRL G/L uses– G/L to G/L– Other projected uses ?

• New use of G/L• Transaction level interoperability

• Other new XBRL use

Research Opportunities – A Final Note

• Opportunities in both design and empirical, but beware of establishment biases

• Research obligations (?)– Unbounded optimism about adoption is part of the

XML landscape, and it is fine for XBRL.org and the AICPA

– “Why so few faculty opponents ?”• Heavy learning curve• Non open development process (ODP) makes criticism hard

for researchers• Skeptics are hard to identify & quote• Nothing in XBRL needs fixing

Business Domain View (BDV)

Business Requirements View (BRV)

Business Transaction View (BTV)

Business Service View (BSV)

UN/CEFACT BP stack

Process Area Business Process

Business Transaction

Business Collaboration(binary or multiparty)

RequestingBusiness Activity

RespondingBusiness Activity

Business Messages Requesting Service Transaction

Responding ServiceTransaction

Agreement

Economic Event

Network Component

Authorizing Roles

Partner Economic Resources

Business Documents

Business Area

Source: ebXML TMWG

Additions to the Knowledge Base

Environment IS Research Knowledge Base

People• Roles• Capabilities• Characteristics

Organizations• Strategies• Structure & Culture• Processes

Technology• Infrastructure• Applications• Communications

Architecture• Development

Methodologies

Foundations• Theories• Frameworks• Instruments• Constructs• Models• Methods• Instantiations

Methodologies• Data Analysis

Techniques• Formalisms• Measures• Validation Criteria

Develop / Build• Theories• Artifacts*

Justify / Evaluate• Analytical• Case Study• Experimental• Field Study • Simulation

Assess Refine

Business Needs

Applicable Knowledge

Application in the Appropriate Environment

Relevance Rigor

[SOURCE: Hevner, March, Park, and Ram, MISQ, 2004]

*artifacts = constructs, models, methods, instantiations

Purposes

• Improve organizational performance

• To make things "as they ought to be."

Objects

• Constructs (E-R, OO, BWW, Agents)

• Models (Patterns, KR, REA Template)

• Methods (SA&D Techniques, CSF, DA)

• Instantiations (ES, Vigilant, Emergent KP)

Actions

• Build

• Evaluate

Designed IT Artifacts

[SOURCE: Sal March Speech at Gordon Davis Symposium

(May 2005)]