De Villiers, Charl JohannesJia, JingLi, Zhongtian2023-03-242023-03-242022-12De Villiers, C., Jia, J.& Li, Z. 2022, 'Corporate social responsibility : a review of empirical research using Thomson Reuters Asset4 data', Accounting & Finance, vol. 62, no. 4, pp. 4523-4568, doi : 10.1111/acfi.13004.2307-9878 (print)2518-1181 (online)10.1111/acfi.13004http://hdl.handle.net/2263/90210Open access publishing facilitated by The University of Auckland, as part of the Wiley - The University of Auckland agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.Thomson Reuters Asset4 (Asset4) is a leading corporate social responsibility (CSR) database often used by practitioners and researchers. This review offers a precise understanding of prior studies using Asset4 and their justification for selecting Asset4, and identifies research opportunities. We review 285 studies using Asset4 data published in quality academic journals, analysing: (1) the usage of Asset4 pillars, categories, data points, and indicators; (2) the justification for using Asset4; and (3) research themes. Our findings provide valuable information for practitioners and researchers who (plan to) use CSR databases, including our guidance on promising avenues for future studies.en© 2022 The Authors. Accounting & Finance published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License.Corporate social responsibility databasesCorporate sustainabilityLiterature reviewThomson Reuters asset4Corporate social responsibility (CSR)Article