Alternative genres in information systems research

Abstract

In this special issue, we advocate a critical stance toward the presentational conventions that we – as authors, reviewers, and editors – accept as the academic article genre. We seek to highlight and illustrate the generative capacity and the significant role of genres in the production of knowledge. Furthermore, we wish to encourage Information Systems (IS) scholars to leverage a wider array of alternative genres to present their research in order to develop new insights on subject matters of interest to the IS discipline, as well as expand on how contemporary and emergent phenomena of interest are conceived and studied. Adopting a broad view of alternative genres, we solicited articles that apply unconventional presentational modalities to expand or challenge the prevailing modus operandi of communicating IS scholarship and practice. Six articles survived a rather lengthy and challenging review process. We briefly discuss the nature of the academic article genre and the role of alternative ways of writing. We also introduce the six exemplars of alternative genres in the special issue, namely conversation, French new novel, meditation, memoir, allegory, and crowdsourced research. We highlight key insights and contemplate their implications for current and future IS research.

Keywords:

• genres
• information systems research
• academic article genre
• conversation genre
• French new novel genre
• meditation genre
• memoir genre
• allegory genre
• crowdsourced research genre

Editor: Prof. Dov Te'eni

Editor: Prof. Dov Te'eni

Acknowledgements

We thank Dov Te’eni, Frantz Rowe, and Pär Ågerfalk for their wholehearted support for this special issue. We are also grateful for the valuable suggestions and help of the reviewers as well as the perseverance of the contributing authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michel Avital

About the Authors

Michel Avital is Microsoft Chair and Professor of IT Management in Copenhagen Business School. Further information: www.avital.net.

Lars Mathiassen

Lars Mathiassen is Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, Professor at the Computer Information Systems Department and Co-Founder of Center for Process Innovation at Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University. Further information: www.larsmathiassen.org.

Ulrike Schultze

Ulrike Schultze is an Associate Professor in Information Technology and Operations Management at the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Cox School of Business. Further information: www.cox.smu.edu/web/ulrike-schultze.