Information Management Research
Directions
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What is MIS?
The effective design, delivery and
use of information systems
organization.
Mis has many reference disciplines:
computer science, management
science, management, organization
behavior, political science,
economics, accounting.
2
What is MIS research?
The systematic investigation of
the development, operation, use
and/or impact of an information
system in an organizational
environment.
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Empirical
Research
Modeling
Implementation
The MIS Research Categories
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Modeling
Modeling is the process of creating the abstraction
that preserves the essential properties of a complex
system.
Implementation
In implementation, a prototype system is designed,
constructed and used on the basis of the theoretical
model.
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Empirical Studies
The unobservable, abstract concepts are
operationalized into observable empirical measures.
In empirical studies, the data are gathered and analyzed in
an attempt to verify the hypothesis.
The purpose of the empirical studies is to check
the impact of the above constructed information
system on a person, group, organization, and society.
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Empirical Research Methods
Primary research
Laboratory Experiment
Field Experiment
Field Study
Sample Survey
Case Study
Secondary research
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Laboratory Experiment
A laboratory experiment is taken place in a
unnatural setting – laboratory, in which the
experimenter has control over the assignment
to groups, controls and manipulates
independent variables and measures dependent
variables.
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Field Experiment
A field experiment is taken place in a natural
setting, in which the experimenter manipulates
independent variables while exerting as much
control as the situation permits, and measures
dependent variables.
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Field Study
A field study is taken place in a natural setting,
in which no independent variables are
manipulated, while measuring dependent
variables.
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Sample survey
A sample survey is taken from a large sample
in a natural setting. No manipulation can be
done though influences of confounding
variables are controlled statistically.
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Case Study
A case study examines phenomenon in its
natural setting employing multiple methods of
data collection to gather information.
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Framework of IS research
Three groups of variables
• Environmental Variables
external, organization, user, IS development/operation
• Information System Variables
IS content, presentation form, time of representation
• Process Variables
development, opration , use
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Categories of IS Research
• Type I: Single variable
• Type II: environmental variables Vs process variables
• Type III: IS variables Vs process variable
• Type IV: environmental variables Vs IS variables
• Type V: environmental variables Vs process variables
Vs IS variables
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Why Few Empirical Studies?
• IM department is more computer science
oriented
• No appropriate research method training
• Empirical research might need much resources
• The linkage between academy and industry is
weak
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