Using the Idealization Method in Research on the Development of Accounting Science

Abstract

The development of accounting science is accompanied by a constant search for practical methodological approaches that can explain complex economic processes and the evolution of accounting systems. One such approach is the idealization method, which involves a conscious simplification of reality to highlight the essential properties of research objects and build theoretical models. The article aims to assess the potential of using the idealization method by accounting researchers and to develop an author’s idealized model that will help better understand the patterns of interaction among components in a holistic accounting system within the context of an information society. To assess the practice of using the idealization method in scientific research, the authors conducted a content analysis of publications by Ukrainian and foreign scientists. For further interpretation of the results, they employed methods of synthesis, abstraction, comparison, induction, and deduction. Presenting the research results in the form of drawings enabled an increase in their level of visualization. The author’s idealized model is built using a metaphorical method, a selected basic definition, and identified key features. To better illustrate the principles of functioning of this model, the mechanism of action of a mechanical pendulum clock was used, which characterizes the innovative approach of this article. The idealization method is widely used not only in accounting research, but also dominates the works of representatives of economic thought. However, some limitations require the use of idealization in combination with other methods. In particular, there is always a risk that excessive abstraction can lead to the loss of practical relevance of the research results. On the other hand, the next stage is required to verify them – empirical verification. As the author’s idealized model demonstrates, information requests drive the development of accounting. At the same time, traditional information requests from stakeholders ensure the sustainable functioning of the accounting system, while innovative ones facilitate its evolutionary and transformational development. Thus, there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the range of information requests and the methodological capabilities of accounting. The formation of various types of reporting and other accounting data occurs within a strictly defined coordinate system, established by accounting standards, principles, and methods. The results of this study have theoretical significance, demonstrating how the idealization method can be applied in research on the development of accounting science. The idealized model presented in the article can be improved upon in future research and utilized in the development of textbooks on accounting theory.