XBRL® For Dummies®

Chapter 9. Exploring the Common Uses of XBRL

In This Chapter

• Seeing how others are using XBRL

• Identifying characteristics of XBRL implementations

XBRL is a powerful tool that businesses can use in many ways, but it's not an end unto itself. Not all organizations need all the characteristics XBRL has to offer; more to the point, some organizations may target only a subset of XBRL's characteristics.

One good way to understand the use cases for XBRL is to look at how others are using it. Many different organizations make use of XBRL. We can't cover all the possible uses in this chapter, but you can use this information to uncover your specific use cases for XBRL.

Gaining Knowledge from XBRL Projects Around the World

Online, you can find three particularly good lists of projects around the world that are making use of XBRL. These lists don't include every XBRL project, but rather all the projects for which public information exists, many of which are government projects:

• XBRL Planet (http://xbrlplanet.org): This site lists information for more than 100 worldwide projects. Many projects are from government organizations that provide detailed information. Regretfully, you don't find as much information about commercial organizations implementing XBRL, but some information, such as case studies, is available.

• XBRL Info Wiki (www.xbrlwiki.info/index.php?title=XBRL_PROJECTS): Maintained by XBRL Spain, this wiki has a great deal of information about all things XBRL, one of which is a list of projects ...