Studying Information Technology in Organizations: Research Approaches and Assumptions.

Author List: Orlikowski, Wanda J.; Baroudi, Jack J.;

Information Systems Research, 1991, Volume 2, Issue 1, Page 1/28/2017.

We examined 155 information systems research articles published from 1983 to 1988 and found that although this research is not rooted in a single overarching theoretical perspective, it does exhibit a single set of philosophical assumptions regarding the nature of the phenomena studied by information systems researchers, and what constitutes valid knowledge about those phenomena. We believe that a single research perspective for studying information systems phenomena is unnecessarily restrictive, and argue that there exist other philosophical assumptions that can inform studies of the relationships between information technology, people, and organizations. In this paper, we present two additional research philosophies for consideration-the interpretive and the critical-and for each we provide empirical examples to illustrate how they are used. We conclude by suggesting that much can be gained if a plurality of research perspectives is effectively employed to investigate information systems phenomena.

Keywords: Critical research; Interpretivist research; Philosophical assumptions; Positivist research; Research approaches

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List of Topics

#21	0.400	research information systems science field discipline researchers principles practice core methods area reference relevance conclude set focus propose perspective inquiry
#222	0.197	research researchers framework future information systems important present agenda identify areas provide understanding contributions using literature studies paper potential review
#17	0.161	empirical model relationships causal framework theoretical construct results models terms paper relationship based argue proposed literature issues assumptions provide suggest
#35	0.100	technology organizational information organizations organization new work perspective innovation processes used technological understanding technologies transformation consequences perspectives use administrative economic