Formulating Research Methods for Information Systems

Leslie P. Willcocks has an international reputation for his work on global management, outsourcing, e-business, information management, IT evaluation, strategic IT and organizational change. He is Professor in Technology Work and Globalization at the Department of Management at London School of Economics and Political Science. He also heads the LSE's Outsourcing Unit research centre. He has been for the last 22 years Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Information Technology. He is co-author of 39 books including in the Technology Work and Globalisation Series Advanced Outsourcing (2012) and has published over 230 refereed papers in journals such as Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, California Management Review, MIS Quarterly and MISQ Executive. Mary Lacity is Curators' Professor of Information Systems and an International Business Fellow at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She is also a Certified Outsourcing Professional ®, Co-Chair of the IAOP Midwest Chapter, Industry Advisor for the Outsourcing Angels, Associate Researcher at The Outsourcing Unit, London School of Economics, Co-editor of the Palgrave Series: Work, Technology, and Globalization, and on the Editorial Boards for Journal of Information Technology, MIS Quarterly Executive, Journal of Strategic Information Systems, and Strategic Outsourcing: An International Journal. Her research focuses on global outsourcing of business and IT services. She was the recipient of the 2008 Gateway to Innovation Award sponsored by the IT Coalition, Society for Information Management, and St. Louis RCGA and the 2000 World Outsourcing Achievement Award sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Michael Corbett and Associates. Chris Sauer is Senior Tutor of Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, with responsibility for the College's oversight of student academic progress. He is currently an Associate Fellow of the Said Business School where from 1999-2010 he was a Fellow in Information Management. Prior to coming to Oxford, Chris acted as Deputy-Director of the Fujitsu Centre for Managing IT in Organisations at the Australian Graduate School of Management in Sydney. In his early career, he worked as an IT professional designing, building and implementing large IT systems. His research focuses on performance-related aspects of the management of IT-enabled business change projects, and has been widely published in journals and books. Chris is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Information Technology and a member of the Editorial Board of the Information Systems Journal.

• Introduction; Leslie Willcocks, Chris Sauer and Mary Lacity PART I: INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH: RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT1. Retrospect and prospect: information systems research in the last and next 25 years; Lee, A.2. Commentaries on Retrospect and Prospects for I.S. Research2.1. On some extensions to Lee '' ''s retrospect and prospect IS paper; Lundeberg, M.2.2. Knowledge lost and found: a commentary on Allen Lee '' ''s '' ''retrospect and prospect; Baskerville, R.2.3. Retrospect and prospect: information systems in the last and next 25 years: response and extension; Davison, R.2.4. Comments on Allen Lee '' ''s article '' ''Retrospect and prospect '' '': information systems research in the last and next 25 years '' '' from a socio-theoretical IS research perspective; Avgerou, C.3. Towards Dissolution of The IS Research Debate: From Polarization To Polarity; Fitzgerald, B. and Howcroft, D. PART II: METHOLODOLOGICAL PRACTICE IN INFORMATIONSYSTEMS RESEARCH4. Methodological practice and policy for organisationally and socially relevant IS research: an inclusive-exclusive perspective; Davison, R., and Martinsons, M.5. Commentaries on Methodological Practice5.1. Is there a methodological crisis?; Myers, M.5.2. Commentary on Davison and Martinsons: methodological practice and policy for organisationally and socially relevant IS research: an inclusive – exclusive perspective; Lee, A.5.3. In celebration of diversity in Information systems research; Galliers, R.5.4. Open Sources? A Commentary on '' ''IS Research Methods: Inclusive or Exclusive?; Nandhakumar, J. and Scarbrough, H.5.5. Pluralism is not about me, it is about us; Germonprez, M.5.6. Research methods and the relevance of the IS discipline: a critical analysis of the role of methodological pluralism;Sharma, R. PART III: GENERALIZABILITY IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH6. Classifying Generalization: Paradigm War or Abuseof Terminology?; Williams, J., and Tsang, E.7. Generalization in IS Research: A Critique of the Conflicting Positions of Lee & Baskerville and Tsang & Williams; Seddon, P. and Scheepers, R. PART IV: THE ROLE OF THEORY IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH8. Is theory king? Questioning the theory fetish in information systems; Avison, D., and Malaurent, J.9. Commentaries on the Role of Theory9.1. Theory is king? But first, what is theory?; Lee, A.9.2. Maybe not the king, but an invaluable subordinate: a commentary on Avison and Malaurent '' ''s advocacy of '' ''theory light '' '' IS research; Markus, L.9.3. The power of an intellectual account: developing stories of the digital age; Henfridsson, O.9.4. From '' ''theory light '' '' to theorizing: a reaction to Avison & Malaurent; Compeau, D., and Olivera, F.9.5. Taking theory too far? a commentary on Avison and Malaurent; Silverman, D.9.6. Theory – still king, but needing a revolution;Gregor, S.9.7. A Rejoinder; Avison, D. and Malaurent, J.