The Changing Profile of Information Systems Research: 1995–2000

Abstract

There has been considerable debate in the literature about the status of Information Systems (IS) as an academic discipline, its progress and its survival. Often these critiques focus on two major themes: (a) the need to develop theoretical foundations for IS and (b) the rigor and relevance of IS research. This paper presents the results of investigating four popular IS journals from 1995–2000 to determine the research methodologies used in published articles. Comparing the results to earlier studies shows that IS research is reducing its focus on subjective/argumentative studies and increasing its focus on experiments, case studies, and field tests. Some IS professionals contend that this changing publication focus provides evidence that the information systems discipline is becoming more rigorous and mature. This study also provides insights relating to the ongoing discussion concerning rigor and relevance of IS research.