Choosing Qualitative Methods in IS Research

2011 ◽  
pp. 271-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen M. Trauth
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Research Projects ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
The Future

This book is about the use of qualitative methods in the conduct of information systems research. As the title suggests, it is concerned both with trends in the choice of qualitative methods and with issues with the use of these methods. The issues have been addressed on two levels. The section on individual issues considers specific issues encountered by individual researchers in the conduct of particular research projects. The section on issues for the profession considers issues that the IS profession is currently confronting and those it will have to address in the future.

The Choice of Qualitative Methods in IS Research

2011 ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen M. Trauth
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research

In this introductory chapter I set the stage for the remaining chapters by discussing factors that influence the choice of qualitative methods for information systems research. In doing so, I provide examples from my own work as well as that of other qualitative researchers in the IS field. I consider these influencing factors in order to highlight the interplay between methodological choices and the context within which they occur. Just as decisions about information systems need to be considered within their contexts of use, so too do choices about qualitative methods for information systems research.

Qualitative Methods in IS Research

2011 ◽  
pp. 3171-3173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eileen M. Trauth
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Qualitative Methods ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
Interpretive Methods ◽  
Words And Images ◽  
Key Aspects

As information technologies have evolved, so too has our understanding of the information systems that employ them. A significant part of this evolving understanding is the role of the human contexts within which information systems are situated. This, in turn, has led to the need for appropriate methods of studying information systems in their context of use. Just as decisions about information systems need to be considered within their contexts of use, so also do choices about the appropriate research methodologies to employ for studying them. Increasingly, qualitative methods are chosen as an appropriate method for studying contextual aspects of information systems development, use and impact. Qualitative research refers to research methods that engage in the interpretation of words and images rather than the calculation of numbers. These methods include: ethnography, case study, action research, interviews, and text analysis (i.e., conversation analysis, discourse analysis, and hermeneutics). Qualitative research can be theory-driven in much the same way as quantitative analysis. However, it can also employ grounded theory techniques in order to develop theory (Glaser & Strauss, 1967). Following some early uses of qualitative methods in the 1980s (e.g., Benbasat et al., 1987; Kaplan & Duchon, 1988; Lee, 1989; Mumford et al., 1985), there has been a significant growth in the use of qualitative methods for information systems research since the 1990s (e.g., Journal of Information Technology, 1998; Lee et al., 1997; MIS Quarterly, 1999, 2000; Nissen et al., 1991; Trauth, 2001). Accompanying the increased use of qualitative methods for IS research has been a discussion of various methodological issues. Among the key aspects of this dialogue are discussions about the suitability of qualitative methods for various types of research and issues arising from a particular type of qualitative methods: interpretive methods. This article presents a reflection on some these discussions in the form of a consideration of five factors that can influence the choice of qualitative (particularly interpretive) methods for information systems research.

scholarly journals The Delphi Method in Information Systems Research (2004-2017)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayman Alarabiat ◽  
Isabel Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Delphi Method ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
Innovative Techniques ◽  
Delphi Studies ◽  
Procedural Recommendations ◽  
Do So

After almost 30 years of being used in the information system (IS) discipline, only a few studies have focused on how IS scholars apply the method's guidelines to design Delphi studies. Thus, this paper focuses on the use of the Delphi method in IS research. To do so, articles published between 2004 and 2017 in the Senior IS Scholars' collection of journals of the Association of Information Systems (AIS), describing Delphi studies, were analised. Based on analysis of sixteen (16) retrieved IS studies, we concluded that IS researchers have applied the method’s most important phases and the procedural recommendations to promote rigor were considered in the majority of the analised studies. Nonetheless, IS researchers still need to include detailed information about (1) the steps taken to ensure the validity of the achieved results, (2) better describe the process of selecting and recruiting the experts, and (3) experiment with innovative techniques to keep participants involved in the Delphi process.

Information Systems Research Relevance

2011 ◽  
pp. 2004-2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirish C. Srivastava ◽  
Thompson S.H. Teo
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Empirical Study ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Management Information Systems ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
It Executives

Though there have been extended deliberations for making information systems (IS) research more relevant1 and useful for IS executives, to our knowledge, there has been no empirical study which examines the extent of relevance in the current IS research. In this chapter, we analyze the topical relevance of 388 published academic articles in the three top IS journals: MIS Quarterly (MISQ), Information Systems Research (ISR), and Journal of Management Information Systems (JMIS), for a 5 year period from 2000-2004. We do this by examining their fit with the key issues for information technology (IT) executives identified by the latest Society for Information Management (SIM) survey. Based on our results, we make recommendations for making IS research more meaningful for practitioners.

What Use is Domestication Theory to Information Systems Research?

2010 ◽  
pp. 482-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deirdre Hynes ◽  
Helen Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Social Shaping Of Technology ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
The Social ◽  
Social Shaping ◽  
Domestication Theory

This chapter introduces and discusses domestication theory—essentially about giving technology a place in everyday life—and its relevance and importance to information systems (IS) research. The authors discuss domestication within the context of the social shaping of technology and critique use and adoption theories more widely found in IS studies. The authors illustrate how domestication theory underpins studies of how Irish households find ways of using computers (or not) in their everyday life and research into the use of ICTs in UK gendered households. In conclusion they outline how developments in domestication theory can contribute to future IS research.

The Challenge of Transdisciplinarity in Information Systems Research

2009 ◽  
pp. 88-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Porto de Albuquerque ◽  
Edouard J. Simon ◽  
Jan-Hendrik Wahoff ◽  
Arno Rolf
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
The Other ◽  
Mutual Understanding ◽  
Common Language ◽  
Academic Field ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
Scientific Results

Research in the Information Systems (IS) field has been characterised by the use of a variety of methods and theoretical underpinnings. This fact recently raised concerns about the rigour of scientific results of IS research and about the legitimacy of the IS academic field. On the other hand, a number of IS researchers have argued for a view that values diversity as a strength of the IS field. This chapter supports this viewpoint and analyzes the relation between IS research and concepts originating from theoretical debates around transdisciplinarity. We present results from a group of researchers of various disciplinary backgrounds towards an integrative platform for the orientation of transdisciplinary IS research. The Mikropolis platform provides researchers with a common language, allowing the integration of different perspectives through exchange of experiences and mutual understanding. We also discuss some practical issues that arise from the transdisciplinary cooperation in IS research.

Towards a Sociopragmatic-Constructivist Understanding of Information Systems

2003 ◽  
pp. 267-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boris Wyssusek ◽  
Martin Schwartz
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Cultural History ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
Radical Constructivist ◽  
Human Inquiry

Contemporary understanding of information systems (IS) is flawed by fundamental problems in information systems research and practice. In this chapter, we claim that philosophical presuppositions have a great influence on our understanding of IS. Reflecting on the modernism-postmodernism debate and its methodological consequences for IS research, we derive the need for a paradigmatic foundation of IS research. Referring to Kuhn’s concept of “paradigm,” we develop a framework for the conceptualization of “paradigms of inquiry.” We use the notion of “model,” which we believe to be pivotal for the understanding of IS, to illustrate the implications of the adoption of a “paradigm of inquiry.” In response to a criticism of both the positivist and the radical-constructivist paradigms, we develop a paradigm called “sociopragmatic constructivism” (SPC). Presupposing that human inquiry relies on social contextualization, common practice and cultural history, we propose an agenda for upcoming IS research grounded in SPC.

scholarly journals Agility and Resilience in Information Systems Research

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 0-0
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Is Research ◽  
Systems Research ◽  
Information Systems Research ◽  
Object Of Study

This research analyzes how the concepts of agility and resilience are treated in IS literature. While agility has been an object of study in IS research for many decades, resilience is a fairly new topic. Both are gaining strategic importance in a firm’s sustainability and growth, especially given the remarkable changes in the landscape that the firm operates in. It is thus important to understand what agility and resilience mean in IS research. Our paper is a first attempt to study IS literature and provide a thematic analysis of facets of each concept. In doing so, we identify aspects that are common to both agility and resilience and those that are unique to each. The results of this study can be used for an empirical examination of the two constructs and a validation of how they can be measured in firms. IS researchers and industrial practitioners can benefit from a deeper understanding of agility and resilience.

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