This dataset supports a study on the adoption of double-entry bookkeeping and depreciation accounting by Massachusetts corporations from 1875 to 1895. It contains data used to estimate that 60% of firms balanced returns in 1875, rising to over 96% by 1895. The proportion considering depreciation increased from 18% to 24% over the same period.
Use Cases
- Analyze the temporal trend in the prevalence of double-entry bookkeeping among Massachusetts corporations from 1875 to 1895.
- Investigate the relationship between the adoption of depreciation accounting and firm survival rates.
- Replicate the study's analysis of errors and omissions in corporate balance statements to estimate accounting practice adoption.
- Use the Accountants' Index citation data to examine topics of interest in the accounting profession during the late 19th century.
Strengths
- Data covers a 25-year period (1870-1895) of significant change in accounting practices.
- Provides quantitative estimates for key accounting metrics, such as the increase in firms balancing returns from 60% to over 96%.
- Dataset is a direct replication package for a published academic study, ensuring methodological transparency.
Limitations
- The dataset's scope is geographically limited to corporations in Massachusetts, which may not be representative of other regions.
- The core data is historical and static, covering a period ending in 1895.
- Specific details on data structure, such as row count, column names, and file formats, are not provided in the input.
Provenance
- Source
- ICPSR Harvested Dataverse
- Collection Method
- Replication data package for the academic paper 'Balancing the Books: Convergence and Diversity in Accounting, 1875-1895.'
- Time Range
- 1870-1895
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Massachusetts, United States