LOGO
The Nature of Theory
in Information Systems
by Shirley Gregor
指導教授 : 洪新原教授
組員:
602530036簡郁珊
602530030蔡孟如
602556017楊宗承
102年 9月
大綱
Abstract
introduction
在理論中不同的觀點
Classifying theory in IS
Five types of theory in IS
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
摘要
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
LOGO
介紹
介紹
What is theory
Definition of theory
the nature of theory
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
介紹
Theory elements
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
介紹
思考知識或理論架構可能出現的問題
譬如:
What is theory?
什麼是理論
How is theory constructed?
理論是如何構成的
而這些問題被歸類為四個互相關聯的類別
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
介紹
Domain
questions.
Epistemological
questions
Text
四種問題的類別
Socio-political
questions
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
Structural or
ontological
questions
介紹
Domain questions. 領域問題
What are the core problems or topics
of interest? 核心問題或感興趣的話題是什麼
What are the boundaries of the
discipline?學科的界線是什麼
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
介紹
Structural or ontological questions.
結構或本體論的問題
What is theory?什麼是理論
How is this term understood in
the discipline? 學科是如何理解這個術
語
How is theory expressed? 如何表
達理論
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
介紹
Ontological
是由實體(entities)、屬性(attributes)、以及
關聯(relations)三個概念組成
實體 entities
關係 relations
屬性 arreibutes
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
介紹
Ontology
廣義:
An ontology is an explicit specification
of a conceptualization
其他重要性定義
1. Shared conceptualization
2. logical theory
介紹
Ontology是共享概念模型的形式化規範說明，
該定義有四層含義
1.
• Conceptualization
2.
• Explicit
3.
• Formal
4.
• share
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
介紹
Epistemological questions. 知識論
的問題
How is theory constructed?理論是
如何構成的
How can scientific knowledge be
acquired? 如何獲得科學知識
What research methods can be
used?什麼研究方法可以使用
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
介紹
Epistemological
探討知識的本質、起源和範圍的一個哲學分支
目的
the nature of knowledge
the extent or scope of knowledge
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
介紹
先驗知識
僅憑推理得到的知識，而不受直接或間接經驗的影
響
(經驗:指通過感官對世界的觀察)
後驗知識
知識的得來和證實需要藉助經驗，又稱經驗性知識
知識論的核心問題之一為是否存在先驗綜合知識
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
介紹
知識架構圖
knowledge is justified true belief知識是「証明為真的信念」
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
介紹
Socio-political questions. 社會政治
問題
Where and by whom has theory been
developed? 理論在哪,由誰所開發
How is knowledge applied? 知識如何應
用
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
LOGO
在理論中不同的觀點
在理論中不同的觀點
Generalization
 Data is form the foundation for theoretical
development.
 The notion of prediction entails some
conception of generality.
 In order to predict what will happen in the
future, we need a generalization that
includes future events.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在理論中不同的觀點
Causality
 The idea of causality, or the relation
between cause and event, is central to
many conceptions of theory.
 The ability to make predictions from
theory can depend on knowledge of
causal connections.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在理論中不同的觀點
Four prominent approaches to the
analysis of event causation can be
distinguished (see Kim 1999):
 Regularity (or nomological) analysis.
 Counterfactual analysis.
 Probabilistic causal analysis.
 Manipulation or teleological causal
analysis.
www.themegallery.com
Company Logo
在理論中不同的觀點
Regularity (or nomological) analysis
 Universal regularity gives rise to
universal or covering laws.
 “There are some causes, which are
entirely uniform and constant in
producing a particular effect; and no
instance has ever been found of any
failure or irregularity in their operation”
(Hume 1748, p. 206).
www.themegallery.com
Company Logo
在理論中不同的觀點
Counterfactual analysis
 Under this approach, what makes an
event a cause of another is the fact that
if the cause had not occurred, the event
would not have (the cause is a
necessary condition).
www.themegallery.com
Company Logo
在理論中不同的觀點
Probabilistic causal analysis
 There are other causes, which have
been found more irregular and uncertain;
nor has rhubarb always proved a purge,
or opium a soporific to everyone, who
has taken these medicines.
 This view is thought to be suited to the
social sciences, where the lack of a
closed system and the effects of many
extraneous influences make other
analysis difficult to undertake.
www.themegallery.com
Company Logo
在理論中不同的觀點
Manipulation causal analysis.
 In this view, a cause is an event or state
that we can produce at will, or otherwise
manipulate to bring about a certain
other event as an effect.
 This analysis relies on an everyday
understanding of a cause as an act by
an intentional agent, for example,
flicking a switch causes a light to turn
on.
www.themegallery.com
Company Logo
在理論中不同的觀點
Explanation
 In scientific research, explanation is one of
the purposes of research.
 An explanation is a set of statements
constructed to describe a set of facts
which clarifies the causes, context, and
consequences of those facts.
 Explanation is a way to uncover new
knowledge, and to report relationships
among different aspects of studied
phenomena.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在理論中不同的觀點
Prediction
 A prediction or forecast is a statement
about the way things will happen in the
future, often but not always based on
experience or knowledge.
 Theories can aim at predictions, which
allow the theory both to be tested and to
be used to guide action.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
理論的建構程序
A central question for this essay is how
to construct a classificatory scheme for
theories in Information Systems
The method for classifying theory for IS
proposed here begins with the primary
goals of the theory.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
理論的建構程序
歸納法理論建構流程






確定研究問題，界定範圍
建利概念性或理論的結構
將概念操作化，建立待驗證的假說
設計方法蒐集資料，檢定假說
分析檢驗做出結論
確定結論的適用範疇即可能限制
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
LOGO
Classifying theory
in IS
分辨歸納在資訊系統中的理論
分辨歸納在資訊系統中的理論
analysis &
description
explanation
prediction
prescription
The four primary goals of theory discerned are
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
分辨歸納在資訊系統中的理論
Components of theories across the
taxonomy
www.themegallery.com
分辨歸納在資訊系統中的理論
Some components of theory are
necessary for other components.
Each theory must have some means
of representation (include words,
either spoken or written,
mathematical symbols, operators
from symbolic logic, diagrams, graphs,
and other pictorial devices.)
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
分辨歸納在資訊系統中的理論
A single concept can have more than
one physical representation: for
example, the mathematical symbol “=”
represents the same concept as the
words “is equal to.”
Each theory must also have
constructs, which refer to the entities
(physical phenomena or abstract
theoretical terms) that the theory
concerns.
All the other components of theory
depend on these basic components.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
LOGO
Five type of
theory in IS
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Theory for
explaining
B
Theory for
analyzing
A
C
Theory for
predicting
資訊系統理論
的五種型態
Theory for
desing and
action
E
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
D
Theory for
explaining and
predicting
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
There is some variation within each
theory type, with different types of
work depending on the focus of work
undertaken and the scope of the
theory.
The classification is dependent on the
main or primary goals of the theory,
rather than goals that are present
only to a minor degree.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Type I: Theory for Analyzing
 Analyze & state “what is”.
 The most basic type of theory.
 They describe or classify specific
dimensions or characteristics of
individuals, groups, situations, or events
by summarizing the commonalities
found in discrete observations.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Type I: Theory for Analyzing
 Theory that describes and analyses is
valuable, as stated above, when little is
known about some phenomena.
 Any evidence gathered would be
expected to have credibility.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Type I: Theory for Analyzing
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Type II: Theory for Explaining
 This type of theory explains primarily
how and why some phenomena occur.
 Explanations of how, when, where, and
why events occurred may be presented,
giving rise to process-type theory.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Type III: Theory for Predicting
 These theories are able to predict outcomes
from a set of explanatory factors, without
explaining the underlying causal connections
between the dependent and independent
variables in any detail.
 The focus of the theoretical model could be
on prediction
 Reasons to justify the ascription of causality in
regularity relationships might not yet have
been uncovered.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Type III: Theory for Predicting
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Type III: Theory for Predicting
 Associated research approaches include
statistical techniques such as correlation or
regression analysis and data mining.
 The existence of regularities or correlations
between two variables does not necessarily
imply a causal relationship.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Type IV: Theory for Explaining and
Predicting (EP Theory)
 This type of theory says what is, how, why,
when, and what will be.
 EP theory implies both understanding of
underlying causes and prediction, as well as
description of theoretical constructs and the
relationships among them.
 Many research methods can be used to
investigate aspects of the EP theory type.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Type IV: Theory for Explaining and
Predicting (EP Theory)
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Type V: Theory for Design and Action
 This type of theory says how to do something.
 It is about the principles of form and function,
methods, and justificatory theoretical
knowledge that are used in the development
of IS (Gregor 2002a; Gregor and Jones 2004;
Walls et al. 1992).
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Type V: Theory for Design and Action
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Interrelationships among Theory
Types
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
LOGO
Concluding
remarks
結論
完成研究的程序
Combinations of four goals lead to the five
types of theory
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
LOGO
補充資料
補充資料
Classification of articles in MIS Quarterly and Information
Systems Research (March 2003 – June 2004)
在MIS季刊和資訊系統研究中，文章的分類
Theory Type
Frequency of Occurrence
1.Analysis
3
2.Explanation
4
3.Prediction
1
4.Explanation and prediction (EP)
33
5.Design and action
9
Total
50
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
補充資料
Classification of articles in MIS
Quarterly and Information Systems
Research
Analysis
18%
6% 8%
2%
explanation
prediction
66%
explanation&predicti
on
design&action
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
Application of the Taxonomy
 The taxonomy was used to classify 50
research articles in two leading journals to
demonstrate its applicability
 Issues of MIS Quarterly and Information
Systems Research from March 2003 to June
2004 were used as the source of the
articles.
 All articles except issues and opinions,
review articles, and research essays were
included in the classification process.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
 Classification was performed by the author
and a junior researcher independently,
using the distinguishing attributes in Table
2 as the primary basis for decisions to
assign an article to one of Types I to V.
 The purpose of this classification activity
was not to determine the relative frequency
of publication of different theory types, but
to test on a small scale whether the
classification schema is (1) exhaustive, (2)
understandable, and (3) does not have
unnecessary categories.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
 The activity showed that the schema
appears to be exhaustive: no papers were
found that could not be classified under the
schema
 The decision rules to allocate theory to a
category appear to be understandable, as
the junior researcher was able to apply
them independently and arrive at similar
conclusions to the author.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
在資訊系統中的五種理論類型
 The question arises as to whether the Type
III category is really necessary.
 Only one article was found with theory that
fell into category III: prediction without
causal explanation.
 It is believed that this category should be
retained, even if instances in this class are
few, both for analytic completeness and as
it is a type of theory recognized by a number
of authors.
The Nature of Theory in Information Systems
LOGO
Click to edit company slogan .