The authors introduce the special section on the topic of the application of critical realism theory to information systems (IS) research. An overview is presented of the basic concepts of critical realism, such as retroduction, agency, and reflexivity. They explore several articles within the issue, including "Technological Objects, Social Positions, and the Transformational Model of Social Activity," by P. Faulkner and J. Runde, "Methodological Implications of Critical Realism for Mixed-Methods Research," by M. Zachariadis, S. Scott, and M. Barrett, and "Explaining Broadband Adoption in Rural Australia: Modes of Reflexivity and the Morphogenetic Approach," by P. Dobson, P. Jackson, and D. Gengatharen.
Ethics is important in the Information Systems field as illustrated by the direct effect of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act on the work of IS professionals. There is a substantial literature on ethical issues surrounding computing and information technology in the contemporary world, but much of this work is not published nor widely cited in the mainstream IS literature. The purpose of this paper is to offer one contribution to an increased emphasis on ethics in the IS field. The distinctive contribution is a focus on Habermas's discourse ethics. After outlining some traditional theories of ethics and morality, the literature on IS and ethics is reviewed, and then the paper details the development of discourse ethics. Discourse ethics is different from other approaches to ethics as it is grounded in actual debates between those affected by decisions and proposals. Recognizing that the theory could be considered rather abstract, the paper discusses the need to pragmatize discourse ethics for the IS field through, for example, the use of existing techniques such as soft systems methodology. In addition, the practical potential of the theory is illustrated through a discussion of its application to specific IS topic areas including Web 2.0, open source software, the digital divide, and the UK biometric identity card scheme. The final section summarizes ways in which the paper could be used in IS research, teaching, and practice.
T his paper puts forward arguments in favor of a pluralist approach t IS research.Rather than advocating a single paradigm,be it interpretive or positivist,or even a plurality of paradigms within the discipline as a whole,it suggests that research results will be richer and more reliable if different research methods,preferably from different (existing)paradigms,are routinely combined together.The paper is organized into three sections after the Introduction. In §2,the main arguments for the desirability of multimethod research are put forward,while §3 discusses its feasibility in theory and practice. §4 outlines two frameworks that are helpful in designing mixed-method research studies.These are illustrated with a critical evaluation of three examples of empirical research.