A Framework for Information Systems Metaresearch: The Quest for Identity

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A Framework for Information Systems Metaresearch
The Quest for Identity

• Viju Raghupathi
• Doctoral Student in Computer Information Systems
• Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business
• and The Graduate Center of CUNY
• Linda Weiser Friedman
• Professor, Computer Information Systems
• Baruch College, Zicklin School of Business
• and the Graduate Center of CUNY

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Overview of Presentation

• Why Metaresearch
• Literature Search
• Four Research Streams Identified
• Rigor
• Relevance
• Diversity
• Essential Core
• Putting it All Together - A Unifying Framework
  The Quest for Identity
• Conclusion?

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Why MetaResearch

• MetaResearch is research about research
• Meta greek word beyond indicates a concept
  which is an abstraction of another concept
• Here, metaresearch on metaresearch
• IS has a history of self-referential research
  efforts
• Creates a language of scientific discourse
• IS has often been defined by what it was NOT
  (e.g., not computer science) - it is important to
  find what it IS

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Literature Search

• Only considered literature that was metaresearch
  - generic discussion of IS research vs. specific
  emperical/non-emperical methodologies etc.
• Key discussion concept or theme identified for
  each article employed process of abstraction of
  concepts to arrive at higher level concepts
• Examined the references of primary articles to
  follow the thread

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Streams of IS Research Identified

• Rigor
• Relevance
• Diversity
• The Essential Core

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IS Metaresearch A First Look
Rigor in IS Research
IS Research Black Box
Good IS Research
Relevance in IS Research
Diversity in IS Research
The Essential Core of IS Research
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The Rigor Stream

• Increasing emphasis on rigor (Benbasat and Zmud,
  2003)
• Perspectives in explaining Rigor
• Learning Issue (Aldrich, 1999)
• Positivistic research / Methodological Rigor
  (Straub, 1989)
• Changing Criteria for enforcing rigor
• Emphasis on Theoretical Rigor (Lee and
  Baskerville, 2003 Zmud, 1996)

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The Relevance Stream

• Complements the rigor focus
• Some Criteria for relevance (Benbasat Zmud,
  2000)
• Applicability of findings
• Currency of problem
• Authenticity of theory
• Challenges
• Transitory nature of IT
• Institutional and Political Factors
• Similarity of IS to professional sciences
  (medicine) (Lee, 1999)
• Two-sided flow of information b/w practice and
  academia (Moody, 2000)

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The Diversity Stream

• Traditional view interdisciplinary (Culnan and
  Swanson, 1986 Davis Olson, 1984)
• Boundary definition
• Limiting the field (Moody, 2003 King and
  Lyytinen, 2004)
• Enhancing Academic legitimacy (Benbasat Weber,
  1999 Benbasat and Zmud, 2003)
• Lens of environmental change need for flexible,
  shifting boundary (Robey, 2003 Tushman and
  Scanlan, 1981)

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The Essential Core Stream

• Identify research using Central theme - the IT
  Artifact
• bundle of material and cultural properties
  packaged in some socially recognizable form such
  as hardware or software (Orlikowski and Iacono,
  2001)
• Gray Area in labeling research as IS related
  (Whinston and Geng, 2004)
• Shift from IT-centric to Work-system-centric
  perspective (Alter, 2003)

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Putting it All Together The Unifying Framework

• All these disparate streams are actually
  concerned with
• the Legitimacy of IS Research
• the Validity of IS Research.
• the Authenticity of IS research
• ..in short, with its very IDENTITY
• They are all Ways and Means/dimensions in the
  Quest for Identity
• Identity is used as the umbrella theme unifying
  these streams

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A Unifying Framework The Quest for Identity
Rigor
Relevance
6, 11, 20, 21, 23, 25, 28, 31, 32, 36
5, 9, 13,16, 24
19, 27
Identity
3, 7, 8, 12, 14, 17, 18, 22, 29, 34, 37
1, 2, 4, 10, 15, 35, 38
Essential Core
Diversity
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The Quest for Identity

• Social Identity Theory (SIT) (Tajfel and Turner,
  1986) and its role in the Quest
• SIT - people associate themselves with certain
  groups in order to enhance their personal and
  social identities, in terms of their own
  self-esteem, and how they appear in the eyes of
  significant others.
• Two Perspectives in using SIT here
• IS community seeks to distinguish itself from the
  reference disciplines.
• IS community seeks a personal sense of belonging
  to the IS discipline.
• A sense of identity serves as a rudder for
  navigating difficult waters (Albert et al.,
  2000, p. 13)

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Conclusion?

• This is an ongoing inquiry not a dormant one so
  no real conclusion
• Importance of research
• Identifies the areas of metaresearch and unifies
  them in a framework
• Framework serves as an analytical tool for
  positioning current and future work in the area
  of identity
• Framework is flexible and extensible in keeping
  with the nature of inquiry dimensions can be
  added at any point in time
• Research offers a novel perspective to the
  identity paradigm using SIT

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Emerging Phenomena in the Identity Quest

• Increasing breadth of topics in conferences
  (diversity)
• Emergence of new research methods such as action
  research (relevance)
• Expanding criteria for validating research
  (rigor)
• Use of IT artifacts in other fields (e.g.,
  medicine - healthcare IS)

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Questions or Comments?

• Thank you!