Bookstore

This textbook will delve into the philosophical foundation of contemporary IS research design with particular emphasis on the methodological tools that can be applied to conduct effective research in the multidisciplinary area of contemporary IS. What sets the book apart is that it will cover the current social paradigm shift, global changes and the need for new methodological tools, which have revolutionised the way we use IS to support our daily practices. It considers the entire methodological procedures applied to research projects that investigate or explore multifaceted areas of contemporary IS, such as information management, digital business, ICT and information science.
Featuring learning objectives, case studies, assessment questions and exercises, this textbook offers a practical outline for IS research methodology that will be of use to students and researchers. It aims to satisfy researchers who are seeking literature on applying methodological procedures to their research projects that delve into the world of contemporary IS that other titles have only considered in a much broader sense.

Information Systems Research: Foundations, Design and Theory

Part 1: Introduction to IS Research Concepts

Chapter 1: Historical Background of IS Research

This chapter offers a history of IS research, which dates back to the 1980s. It provides a historical background to the application of research designs in IS research by holistically exploring the origins of the contemporary applications of IS research that we have become accustomed to today. The central argument of this chapter is that many IS researchers often lack the historic knowledge to conduct unique IS research, which the chapter aims to address.

Chapter 2: Research Philosophies in IS Research

This chapter offers a philosophical background to the research paradigms and approaches associated with IS research. It covers contemporary IS through the lens of design science, as well as the ontological and epistemological perspectives of positivist, interpretivist and critical worldviews when studying the social paradigm shifts and global changes resulting from such systems. The central argument of this chapter is the importance of considering the philosophical stances of conducting research in IS research.

Chapter 3: Applications of Research Designs in IS Research

This chapter provides important information about the application of research designs for IS research. This includes designs such as Descriptive (e.g., case-study, naturalistic observation, survey), Correlational (e.g., case-control study, observational study), Experimental (e.g., field experiment, controlled experiment, quasi-experiment) and Review (literature review, systematic review). The chapter also aims to provide information on how to rationalise and justify the chosen research designs and in IS research topics. The central argument of this chapter is the importance of how research designs can be justified contemporary IS research projects neglected in previous literature.

Chapter 4: Applying Contemporary IS Theory to Study Social Paradigm Shifts and Global Changes

This chapter aims to draw attention to contemporary theory that can be applied to IS research for studying Social Paradigm Shifts and Global Changes, including IS theories such as "Sociomateriality" (the relationship between material and human existence, or technology and social interactions). Similar and other relevant IS theories include actor-network theory (the study of the cultural traces that the material objects and human actors leave in the process of forming groups), structuration theory (explaining connections between situated interactions and social structures of meaning, norms, and power) or technology acceptance (models how users come to accept and use a technology). This provides researchers with a novel perspective on the methodological theory pertaining to contemporary IS research. The central argument of this chapter

is the lack of emphasis on contemporary approaches applied in IS research for studying and justifying Social Paradigm Shifts and Global Changes in IS research projects.

Part 2: Practical Applications of IS Research

Chapter 5: Methodological Approaches to Studying the Multidisciplinary Areas of IS

This chapter builds on chapter 3 by introducing the methodological approaches relevant to IS research. This includes the consideration of inductive and deductive reasoning, a deeper exploration of methodological choices, such as qualitative, quantitative or mixed approaches, and ways of justifying these choices in a practical context. The central argument of this chapter is the lack of information to support the understanding of the methodological approach they will adopt and justify how and why this applies to an IS research project, which the chapter aims to address.

Chapter 6: Application of Research Methodologies in Contemporary IS Research

This chapter introduces the research methodologies applied in contemporary IS research, including experimentation, action research, case study and secondary research. The central argument of this chapter is that researchers often get confused about the appropriate methodologies they need to apply to their contemporary IS research project. This will help students to determine how they can practically apply their methodological choices to a clear methodological strategic typology to conduct effective field or secondary research in the contemporary IS domain, which the chapter aims to address.

Chapter 7: Data Collection Procedures for Contemporary IS Research

This chapter is designed to equip researchers with the knowledge to effectively collect research data using a set of procedures and methods. The chapter will specifically cover data collection tools, such as interviews, surveys, observations and focus groups and their relevant procedures used in IS research, in addition to other tools used in the data sciences, such as data modelling tools (e.g. Hadoop). The chapter also considers the target populations and sampling methods. The central argument of this chapter is the lack of information regarding a step by step guide to effectively conducting field research, from granting ethical approval to actually collecting the data on or off site, which the chapter aims to address.

Chapter 8: Piloting and Feasibility Studies in IS Research

This chapter will cover the process of conducting a pilot study to assess the feasibility of an IS research project. This entails conducting preliminary fieldwork on a target population to test the research questions and/or hypotheses on a small scale to determine its potential feasibility on a larger scale. The central argument of this chapter is that the current IS research methods literature does not explicitly cover the piloting process and the procedures of conducting an effective pilot study, which the chapter aims to address.

Part 3: Analysis Procedures and Tools for Analysing Contemporary IS Research

Chapter 9: Planning for the Analysis Phase: A Framework of Data Analysis Procedures

This chapter will cover the planning procedures to effectively analyse research data in IS research projects. This includes the procedures to organise the collected/collated data ready for analysis, such as transcribing and data tallying. The central argument of this chapter is to equip researchers with the necessary practical knowledge to effectively organise their data to be analysed, which is lacking in the IS methods literature, which the chapter aims to address.

Chapter 10: Analytical Methods Used in Contemporary IS Research

This chapter will cover the traditional analytical methods to effectively convert IS data into readable findings. Analytical methods include "thematic analysis" and "content analysis" as part of qualitative analyses, and "statistical analysis" analysis methods (e.g. regression, hypothesis testing, standard deviation, among others). In addition, the chapter introduces recently developed analytical methods that align with the notion of social paradigm shifts and global change such as "configuration analysis". This is a qualitative analysis technique that enables configurations of constructs together to be analysed rather than individual constructs, and thus enables systems theoretic approaches with concepts such as emergence. The central argument of this chapter is the lack of practical applications for how to effectively analyse IS research data based on methodological choice.

Chapter 11: Analytical Tools Used in Information Management, Digital Business, ICT and Information Science

This chapter will cover the analytical tools that can be applied by researchers to effectively analyse their data. Tools include Nvivo for qualitative analysis, SPSS for quantitative analysis and MATLAB for engineering and scientific analyses, among others. The central argument of this chapter is to provide practical examples of the use of the analytical tools used for effective data analysis, which is lacking in the IS research methods literature, which the chapter aims to address.

Chapter 12: Data Protection, Confidentiality and Anonymity

This chapter will cover the legal and ethical basis of conducting research. This includes the laws and procedures that govern the protection of personal information, as well as methods of maintaining data confidentiality and anonymity. The central argument of this chapter is that ethical procedures in the IS methods literature lack a practical guide to the key issues that relate to the protection of personal data, which the chapter aims to address.

Chapter 13: Ethical Procedures and Processes in IS Research

This chapter will cover the ethical process of conducting IS research, from filling out the ethical approval form to developing ethical participant statements. This also includes the techniques used to keep in line with ethical policies when conducting field research, such as questionnaires, observations, focus groups and interviews. The central argument of this chapter is the lack of ethical guidance procedures in IS research, which the chapter aims to address.

Part 5: Development of Findings and Concluding the IS Research Project

Chapter 14: Writing and Transferring the Findings in IS Research Projects

This chapter will cover the processes and procedures of writing up the findings of the research project. Although