Abstract. The era of digital financial reporting has arrived. However, many questions persist relating to how digital financial reporting will actually work and what is necessary to make it work appropriately. Technologies such as XBRL must be well understood in order to harness their power. This paper is intended to provide a thought-provoking summary of the moving pieces that must be considered by accountants and other business professionals when evaluating how digital financial reporting will be best employed for financial reporting. The paper is intended to help these business professionals understand the issues related to digitizing financial reports and maximize the potential contribution the accounting profession can make to the achievement of successful and appropriate digital financial reporting. The end result will be well-thought-out digital financial reporting. Any expression of digital financial reports must be in a form that business people understand because they are the ones who create these reports and verify that they are a sensible, logical, faithful, true and fair representation of the reporting entity's financial information. The XBRL taxonomies have been the most serious effort thus far to formalize the business rules in XBRL implementations. The XBRL technical syntax interoperability is very good, but the semantics is still a challenge. To face this, effective communication between accounting professionals and IT professionals is key.

Abstract. Recently, the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) developed a Discussion Paper (DP), offering initial proposals for the development of an International Integrated Reporting Framework, combining and connecting financial and non-financial information, including past and future information and outlining the next steps towards its creation and adoption. Among different aspects and elements of a future integrated report, the DP develops the idea of a report supported by XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language).

This paper proposes a measurement method for assessing the extent to which the XBRL digital standard eXtensible Business Reporting Language can assist firms in implementing their reporting when applying EMAS The EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme. A specific survey based on the work of (Bunker et al., 2007), which uses Value Compatibility, was carried out at the most important firms in Southern Spain. Different sectors were involved in the study: public hospital, copper manufacturing facilities, petrochemical plant and pulp and renewable energy production. The results reveal some concordances between EMAS using XBRL as a reporting technology, and the cultural, organisational and technical working environment of the analysed firms, specifically those related to the Structural Dimension. By contrast, some discordance is highlighted related to the Practical Dimension. The paper proposes for the first time the application of the global financial standard XBRL for a non financial purpose like the widely accepted EMAS, to actual potential uses in real scenarios. The empirical research combined heavy industry with services, privately owned firms with public entities, private and public sector, in the analysis of this technology. The paper represents a necessary landmark for a subsequent longitudinal study.

Abstract. The era of digital financial reporting has arrived. However, many questions persist relating to how digital financial reporting will actually work and what is necessary to make it work appropriately. Technologies such as XBRL must be well understood in order to harness their power. This paper is intended to provide a thought-provoking summary of the moving pieces that must be considered by accountants and other business professionals when evaluating how digital financial reporting will be best employed for financial reporting. The paper is intended to help these business professionals understand the issues related to digitizing financial reports and maximize the potential contribution the accounting profession can make to the achievement of successful and appropriate digital financial reporting. The end result will be well-thought-out digital financial reporting. Any expression of digital financial reports must be in a form that business people understand because they are the ones who create these reports and verify that they are a sensible, logical, faithful, true and fair representation of the reporting entity's financial information. The XBRL taxonomies have been the most serious effort thus far to formalize the business rules in XBRL implementations. The XBRL technical syntax interoperability is very good, but the semantics is still a challenge. To face this, effective communication between accounting professionals and IT professionals is key.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of recent developments in corporate reporting, specifically from the carbon disclosure project (CDP) environment, in the evolution of European post-crisis financial markets. Design/methodology/approach Theoretical and instrumental advancements from nonlinear dynamics have been applied to the analysis of market behaviour and the online presence or reputation of major European listed banks. Findings The application of a nonlinear statistical methodology (i.e. the autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average [ARFIMA] estimation model) demonstrates the presence of a long history of collected data, thus indicating a certain degree of predictability in the time series. Also, this study confirms the existence of structural breakpoints, specifically the impact of the CDP reporting in both stock prices and online search trends of the sampled companies for certain periods. Research limitations/implications This study introduces new methodological perspectives in corporate reporting studies, as the application of nonlinear techniques can be more effective in capturing corporate transparency issues. A limitation to overcome is to explore whether the impact of reporting is different due to the specific reporting behaviour each company adopts. Practical implications The “breakpoint” concept should enlighten the importance to firms of providing more information in specific moments, which can impact on both traditional (i.e. stock prices) and modern (i.e. online popularity) performance metrics. Additionally, it should be taken into account by stakeholders, when analysing the accountability of firms to improve their decision-making processes and policymakers, for monitoring and contrasting speculative and insider trading activities. Social implications Online search trends represent a new public attitude to how society “measures” the effectiveness of firms’ disclosure behaviours. Originality/value Combining ARFIMA with structural break techniques can be regarded as a relevant and complementary addition to classic “market reaction” or “value relevance” techniques.