Barcelona on June 10-13, 2012ESADE, Barcelona, Spain
the 20th European Conference on Information Systems
the 20th European Conference on Information Systems
Richard Baskerville GSU, USA baskerville@acm.org
John Venable Curtin University, Australia VenableJ@cbs.curtin.edu.au
Bernd Carsten Stahl De Montfort University, UK bstahl@dmu.ac.uk
1. A 200 word description
Research methods are an area of interest in all research. They are particularly contested in areas like information systems that draw from different reference disciplines. Research methods have important implications for what can be observed, how data can be analysed and what types of theoretical or practical outcomes a piece of research will have. The 2012 ECIS conference has the theme of information systems and global welfare. This combination of possible issues that combine technology, individual and organisational use and global economic issues raises particularly complex issues for research. It requires specific attention to research methods. The research methods track therefore welcomes submissions that combine an attention to diverging aspects, such as individual and global, social and technical or economics and justice.
2. A longer description of the track
Research methods are an area of interest in all research. They are particularly contested in areas like information systems that draw from different reference disciplines. Research methods have important implications for what can be observed, how data can be analysed and what types of theoretical or practical outcomes a piece of research will have. The 2012 ECIS conference has the theme of information systems and global welfare. This combination of possible issues that combine technology, individual and organisational use and global economic issues raises particularly complex issues for research. It requires specific attention to research methods.
The field of information systems has a long history of discussing research methods and different streams of research compete for attention and legitimacy. Discussions of research methods therefore not only need to concentrate on the functional adequacy and internal consistency of particular approaches but need to be contextualised in a broader context. Research methods contain assumptions about what can and should be measured, which type of output is desirable and what social uses research can have.
A continuing discussion of research methods is important to preserve the dynamics of research methods. At the same time, there is no perfect research method. As McGrath (1981) remarked, "Methodological discussions should not waste time arguing about which is the right strategy, or the best one; they are all lousy". In this spirit we would like to use this track to further the discussion and engage with different views on what constitutes appropriate research methods in information systems.
The research methods track therefore welcomes submissions in the following areas:
Methods that combine an attention to diverging aspects, such as individual and global, social and technical or economics and justice.
Recent developments in established research methods such as:
McGrath, J. E. (1981). Dilemmatics: The study of research choices and dilemmas. American Behavioral Scientist, 25(2), 179-210.