The use of Big Data in the audit profession: are the external auditors and the scientific literature on the same page?

Abstract

The use of Big Data within the audit profession is growing. According to the literature the use of Big Data within the audit profession needs to go along with some changes related to education, rules and regulations and auditors’ judgment. In this thesis, a qualitative research approach is taken to find to what extend the expectations and experiences of the external auditors in the big four companies, about the impact of Big Data in their profession, are in line with the expectations of the researchers mentioned in the literature. Overall there is found that external auditors and researchers agree that the educational program and the rules and regulations need to change in order to be able to work with Big Data within their profession. Yet, the auditors did not have the correct education to work properly with Big Data. The rules and regulations should be change to give more guidance when using Big Data within an audit. Although, the auditors agreed that the auditors’ judgment will change the auditors where more aligned with the researchers who expected that Big Data would have a positive influence on their audit judgment. Future research is necessary to specify the expectations of the auditor with regard to the changes necessary in rules and regulations and education.