Philosophy and Research Methods in IS

Eph Mc Lean & Emmanuel Monod

Index

Description

Topics

Associate Editors

Reviewers

Eph Mc Lean (Georgia State University, USA)
Emmanuel Monod (Universite Paris Dauphine, France & Georgia State University, USA)

The current epistemological and methodological debate in IS relies on distinctions like positivism versus interpretivism and critical 'research philosophies'. Other classical distinctions are process approach versus variance approach or quantitative research versus qualitative research. However, many alternative research trends in IS tend to challenge these classical distinctions. This call for papers encourages either classical or alternative trends that either validate or challenge these distinctions. They might especially claim for a different status for design sciences, systems thinking, socio-technical approaches, critical realism or constructivism in IS.

Another category of paper might compare the epistemological debate in other sciences, especially in other human and social sciences, like Sociology or History. For instance, sociology of action is often opposed to different forms of functionalism, structuralism, or behaviorism. Another important debate in sociology is about scope. Indeed, holism has been classically opposed to methodological individualism. In the field of History, the epistemological debate focused on comprehension versus explanation. As some historical trends try to understand the historical actor, others try to explain historical phenomena through the use of a more wide range of cultural and socio-economical factors.

Papers applying to IS research alternative philosophical and epistemological distinctions are also encouraged. This might be for instance the case of the distinction: nomothetical versus ideographical. Are we seeking for universal laws or are we simply describing peculiar phenomena? Another possible distinction is descriptive versus normative. Many trends in IS would probably appear to be more normative than descriptive, especially those referring to Ethics, Rationalism, Marxism, or ideal-types. Many other philosophical questions could be addressed. For instance, papers might claim that little attention has been paid in IS to the consequences the linguistic turn, or the phenomenological revolution, or conventionalism and relativism that are so important in other human sciences.

This track expects research papers about philosophy, epistemology and research methods in IS. If papers relying on classical IS epistemological and methodological distinctions are welcome, this call for papers also strongly encourages any alternative philosophical and epistemological distinctions. They will be especially welcome if they allow fruitful comparative points of view about IS research or if they allow to make progresses in the quest for an epistemological or a methodological pluralism.

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the distinction between IS ‘philosophies’ like positivism versus interpretivism and critical social theory

• Is the debate about process versus variance relevant in IS?

• Is the distinction between quantitative research versus qualitative research fruitful in IS?

• What is the status in IS of design sciences, systems thinking, socio-technical approaches, critical realism or constructivism?

• Can we apply the distinction between sociology of action and functionalism in IS?

• Is the distinction between comprehension versus explanation relevant for IS research?

• Should IS research be rather nomothetical or ideographical?

• Should IS research be rather descriptive or normative?

• What are the consequences for IS research of the linguistic turn, the phenomenological revolution, conventionalism or relativism?

• What are the conditions of possibility of an epistemological or a methodological pluralism?

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Associate Editors:

• Dick Boland (Case Western Reserve University, USA)

• Laurence Brooks (Brunel University, UK)

• Deborah Bunker (University of New South Wales, Australia)

• Andrew Burton-Jones (Georgia state University, USA)

• Jim Courtney (University of Central Florida, USA)

• Wendy Currie (University of Warwick, UK)

• Alessandro D’Atri (University of Rome LUISS, Italy)

• Fred Fonseca (Pennsylvania State University, USA)

• Anita Greenhill (University of Manchester, UK)

• Marco de Marco (Universita Catholica de Milano, Italy)

• Rob Meredith (Monash University, Australia)

• Lew Hassel (Drexel University, USA)

• John Haynes (University of Central Florida, USA)

• Juhani Iivari (Universty of Oulu, Finland)

• Lucas Introna (University of Lancaster, UK)

• Henri Isaac (Paris Dauphine University, France)

• Vikas Jain (George Washington University, USA)

• Bandula Jayatilaka (SUNY Binghamton, USA)

• Emmanuel Josserand (Paris Dauphine University, France)

• Michel Kalika (Paris Dauphine University, France)

• Kalle Lyytinen (Case Western Reserve University, USA)

• David Paradice (Florida State University, USA)

• Peggy Papadopoulou (University of Athens, Greece)

• Suzanne Rivard (HEC Montréal, Canada)

• Florence Rodhain (University of Montpellier II, France)

• Ulrike Schultze (Southern Methodist University, USA)

• Maddalena Sorrentino (Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy)

• Bernd Stahl (De Montfort University, UK)

• Erik Stolterman (University of Umea, Sweden)

• Elke Wolf (University of Auckland, New Zealand)

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Reviewers:

Adam Reed

Alessandro d’Atri

Anita G. Greenhill

Bernd Carsten Stahl

Björn Niehaves

Chiara Frigerio

Danai Tsotra

David Vance

Deborah Bunker

Doncho Petkov

Elizabeth White

Esther Klein

George R. Widmeyer

Helmut Krcmar

Henri Isaac

John Artz

John Haynes

Jonny Holstrom

Judith C. Simon

Oleg Missikoff

Pamela Carter

Prashant C. Palvia

Rob Meredith

Vikas Jain

Maria Burke

Andrew Schwarz

Bruce B. Rowlands

Calvin C. Yu

Christian Voigt

Cindi  Smatt

David Mendonca

Francis A. Wilson

Ian O. Angell

Isaias IC Custodio

Jens JD Dibbern

John Lamp

Judy McKay

Kwangsu Cho

Lei Jin

Marcus Gibson

Michael J. Cuellar

Michael S. Lane

Miltiadis  D. Lytras

Peter Fettke

Ramayah T. Thurasamy

Richard L. Baskerville

Ronald T. Cenfetelli

Sigi Goode

Stefano Basaglia

Sue Williams

Tanya V. Bondarouk

Thomas Stafford

Thomas R. Roth-Berghofer

William P. Hall

Zeki Ayag

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