Institute of Informatics, GI Group
Action Research Workshop
Background
Many of the PhD and Master students at the GI Group conduct action research projects for
their dissertations, either as part the HISP program or as longitudinal case studies in the
Norwegian health sector. From a methodological point of view these projects are quite
demanding, partly because they are conducted in volatile environments. This course aims at
providing the PhD students and Master students with hands-on research skills.
The 10 ECTS course is run in three two-day workshops. Each workshop focuses on two
action research topics. The practical work is conducted on the students’ projects, in small
groups.
Assessment
Assessment is done in two steps.
1. Written exam. 1 hour.
2. Assignment, develop your research propoasal in three iterations.
Two (out of three) assignments are required to get the credits.
Workshop 1
Topics:
- Overall research design
- Epistemologies; Positivism, interpretivism, critical research
- Action research introduction
- Quantitative research methods
11. February 9- 12
 Course structure
 Overall research design, V-model
 Epistemologies
 Action Research Cycle
 Canonical Action Research
 Action Case Research

Readings: (in prioritized sequence)
 Susmann and Everett (1984): Action research
 Klein and Myers (1999). Guidelines for
conducting and evaluating interpretive
research
 Braa and Vidgen (1999): Action case
 Orlikowski and Baroudi (1991). Studying
 Information Technology in Organizations
 Davison et al (2004) Canonical Action
Research

12. February 9-12
. Research question formulation


Group work (in pairs): Individual research
design + research question
Structure of the aassignments


First Assignment: Own research design based on
Upgrade structure, including research question.
Document size: total 6 pages.
Focus on (1)Introduction/research question (1 page)
and (6) Research Method (3-4 pages).
Deadline:
Workshop 2
Topics:
- Action Design Research
- Data Collection
- Data Analysis
- Qualitative research Interview
19 March 9 -12
Marit Anti
 Challenges with using quantitative methods
and evaluate quantitative methods.
 The focusing is mainly on experiments,
surveys and descriptive designs
20 March 9-12
 Data collection
 Qualitative research Interview
Readings:
Sein et al (2011) Action Design Research
Miles & Huberman (1994) Chapter 1-5
Kvale Brinkman: The Qualitative Research Interview
Second Assignment: Revised research design and
plans,
Deadline:
Workshop 3
Topics:
- Evaluation of results
- Theorizing
30th April. 09.15 to 12
 Diagnosis
 Data Analysis
. 13 - 16
 Making contributions
Readings: Miles & Huberman Chapter 10
Braa et al Network of Action
Third Assignment: Research design
Deadline: 24th of May
Readings discussions:
Walsham (2006)
Walsham, G. (2006) "Doing interpretive research." European Journal of Information Systems, 15(3):
320-330
http://www.uio.no/studier/emner/matnat/ifi/INF3290/h12/undervisningsmateriale/artikler/walshamdoi
ng-interpretiveresearchejis2006.pdf
Sandberg and Alvesson
Alvesson, M. & Sandberg, J., 2011. Generating Research Questions Through Problematization.
Academy of Management Review, 36(2), pp.247271.
Eisenhardt :
Building Theories from Case Study Research
Author(s): Kathleen M. Eisenhardt
Source: The Academy of Management Review, Vol. 14, No. 4 (Oct., 1989), pp. 532-550Published
Checkland and Holwell
Title: Action Research: Its Nature and Validity
Source: Systemic Practice and Action Research February 1998, Volume 11, Issue 1, pp 9-21
Walsham and Barrett
Michael Barrett, Geoff Walsham (2004): "Making Contributions From Interpretive Case Studies:
Examining Processes of Construction and Use". IFIP 8.2 workshop,
2004 http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/1-4020-8095-6_17
Exam: in June (1 hour)
8th of June
Literature
Braa, K. and Vidgen, K. (1999) “Interpretation, intervention, and reduction in the
organizational laboratory: a framework for in-context information system research”,
Published in Bolan, Dick (ed.) Journal of Accounting, Management and Information
Technologies, Elsevier Science Ltd. Vol. 9 pp 25-47Susmann and Everett: Action research.
Braa, J., Monteiro, E., and Sanjay, S. (2007). "Networks of Action: Sustainable Health
Information Systems Across Developing Countries." MIS Quarterly, 28(3).
Checkland and Holwell (1998) "Action Research: Its Nature and Validity". Systemic Practice
and Action Research, Vol. 11, No. 1, 1998
Davison, R. M., Martinsons, M. G., and Kock, N. (2004). " Principles of Canonical Action
Research." Information Systems Journal, 14(1).
Klein, H. K. and Michael D. Myers. "A Set of Principles for Conducting and Evaluating
Interpretive Field Studies in Information Systems," MIS Quarterly, Special Issue on Intensive
Research (23:1), 1999, pp. 67-93.
Kvale, Steinar, Brinkman, Svend (2008): Learning the craft of qualitative research
interviewing, Sage
Michael Barrett, Geoff Walsham (2004): "Making Contributions From Interpretive Case
Studies: Examining Processes of Construction and Use". IFIP 8.2 workshop, 2004
Miles, M. B., and Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative Data Analysis, Thousand Oaks: Sage
Publications.
Orlikowski, W.J. & Baroudi, J.J. (1991). "Studying Information Technology in Organizations:
Research Approaches and Assumptions", Information Systems Research (2) 1991, pp. 1-28.
Sein, M., Henfridsson, O., Purao, S., Rossi, M., and Lindgren, R. (2011). "Action Design
Research." MIS Quarterly, 35(2).
Susman and Evered (1978). “An Assessment of the Scientific Merits of Action Research.”
Administrative Science Quarterly (1978), 582-603.