INF 5220 – Qualitative Research Methods – for PHD candidates
Judith Gregory, IFI, UiO, judithg@ifi.uio.no
Autumn 2003
Assignment for PhD participants in INF 5220:
 Choose a recent PhD dissertation to read and write a critique
Read a recent PhD dissertation or monograph and write a critique regarding methods and
methodology, concepts/theoretical frame, research design, epistemology, philosophical stance.
You will want to assess:
 What kinds of knowledge were generated by the research approach taken and methods used?
 What kinds of knowledge remain elusive?
 How may these research approach and methods be useful in your doctoral research?
 How might you adapt and/or extend the research approach, methods, methodology,
theoretical/conceptual framework, towards your research questions?
Working list of recent Ph.D. dissertations -- This is an ad hoc list, to be modified over time.
Ellingsen, Gunnar. Global Reach, Local Use: Design and Use of Electronic Patient Records in
Large Hospitals. Doctoral dissertation, Department of Computer and Information Science,
Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Trondheim, NO: NTNU, 2003. Available
online: http://www.unn.no/proto/ellingsen/intro.pdf
Hasu, Mervi. Critical Transitions from Developers to Users: Activity-Theoretical Studies of
Interaction and Learning in the Innovation Process. Doctoral dissertation, Department of
Education, Center for Activity Theory and Developmental Work Research, University of
Helsinki, Finland. Espoo, FI: Otamedia Oy, 2001. Available online:
http://ethesis.helsinki.fi/julkaisut/kas/kasva/vk/hasu/
Henfridsson, Ola. IT-adaptation as Sensemaking: Inventing New Meaning for Technology in
Organizations. Doctoral dissertation, Department of Informatics, Umeå University. Umeå,
Sweden: University of Umeå, 1999. (Ola’s home page is http://www.viktoria.se/~ola/ )
Hepsø, Vidar. Translating and Circulating Change – The Career of an Integrated Organization
and Information Technology Concept. Department of Social Anthropology, Norwegian
University of Science and Technology. Trondheim, NO: NTNU, 2001. Available online:
http://www.apertura.ntnu.no/vidar/Papers%20and%20presentations/PhD-ViHe.pdf
Karasti, Helena. Increasing Sensivitity towards Everyday Work Practice in Systems Design. Doctoral
dissertation, Department of Information Processing Science, University of Oulu. Oulu, Finland:
University of Oulu, 2001. Available online: http://www.tol.oulu.fi/~helena/Doctoral_Thesis.html
Katzenberg, Barbara. Designing Care: Evolving Communities, Working Rules, and Practice
Representations. Doctoral dissertation, Department of Education, Stanford University. Palo Alto,
CA: Stanford University, 1997. (Judith has hard copy; not available online to my knowledge.)
Lundberg, Nina. IT in Health Care – Artefacts, Infrastructures and Medical Practices. Doctoral
dissertation, Department of Informatics, Göteberg University. Göteberg, Sweden: Gothenberg
Studies in Informatics Report 17, 2000. Available online: http://www.informatik.gu.se/~nina/
Mursu, Anja. Information Systems Development in Developing Countries: Risk Management
and Sustainability Analysis in Nigerian Software Companies. Doctoral dissertation, Faculty of
Information Technology, Jyväskylä Studies in Computing 21. Jyväskylä, FI: University of
Jyväskylä, 2002. (PhD supervised by Kalle Lyytinen and Mikko Korpela, University of Kuopio)
(Judith has hard copy; Anja’s web page is http://www.cs.uku.fi/~amursu/ )
Østerlund, Carsten. Documenting Dreams: Patient-Centered Records Versus Practice-Centered
Records. Doctoral dissertation, MIT Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. (Ph.D. in Philosophy of Management, in Organization
Studies Group in the Sloan School) (Available in soft copy from Judith or from Carsten;
Carsten’s home page is http://istweb.syr.edu/facstaff/facultymember.asp )
Rolland, Knut. Re-inventing Information Infrastructures in Situated Practices of Use: An
Interpretive Case Study of Information Technology and Work Transformation in a Global
Company. Doctoral dissertation, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo. Oslo, NO:
University of Oslo, 2003. (Judith has hard copy; Knut’s web page is http://www.idi.ntnu.no/~knutrr/ )
Sandahl, Tone Irene. From Paper to Digital Documents: Challenging and improving the SGML
approach. Doctoral dissertation, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo. Oslo, NO:
University of Oslo, 1999. (Judith has hard copy; may also be available online)
Sjøberg, Cecelia. Activities, Voices and Arenas: Participatory Design in Practice. Doctoral
dissertation, Department of Computer and Information Science and Department of Community
Medicine, Linköping University. Linköping, Sweden: Linköping Studies in Science and
Technology, Dissertation No. 439, 1996. (Judith has hard copy)
Sutter, Berthel. Instruction at Heart: Activity-theoretical studies of learning and development in
coronary clinical work. Doctoral dissertation. Karlskrona, Sweden: Department of Human Work
Science and Media Technology, Blekinge Institute of Technology, 2002. (Judith has hard copy)
Svenningsen, Signe. Electronic Patient Records and Medical Practice: Reorganization of Roles,
Responsibilities and Risks. (Available in soft copy from Judith or Signe; Signe’s web page is
http://www.cbs.dk/departments/ioa/staff/svenningsenuk.shtml )
Tjora, Axel Hagen. Caring Machines: Emerging Practices of Work and Coordination in the Use
of Medical Emergency Communication Technology. Doctoral dissertation, Faculty of Social
Sciences and Technology Management, Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Trondheim, NO: 1997. (Judith has hard copy; may also be available online)
Winschiers, Heike. Dialogical System Design across Cultural Boundaries:
System Design out of Africa. Doctoral dissertation, Department of Informatics, University of
Hamburg. Hamburg, Germany: University of Hamburg, 2001. (Working in Namibia, PhD is
from Christiane Floyd's group in Informatics.) Available online: http://www.sub.unihamburg.de/disse/482/Disse.pdf
Aanestad, Margunn. Cultivating Networks: Implementing Surgical Telemedicine. Doctoral
dissertation, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo. Oslo, NO: University of Oslo, 2002.
Available online: http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~margunn/Thesis.html