Shows
this IS researchNick’s rules for a good PhD educationWe are together in South Bend and teach a class to PhD students in the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. Our joint teaching experience makes us wonder: What should all doctoral students learn or what should we all teach the next generation of IS students? We come up with Nick’s rules for a good PhD education: First, understand what knowledge and inferences are. Second, learn different methods and then deep dive into a primary method. Third, pick a domain and learn its foundations and history. Fourth, develop a mindset of mastery to become the wo...
2025-09-2450 minthis IS researchShould all qualitative researchers use LLMs?One of the big topics at the conference this summer was the use of large language models in the research process, especially in qualitative studies. We expand this discussion by asking: can qualitative research be automated—or augmented? Yes and no. Some of the advantages LLMs bring to the table are hard to ignore. LLMs can act as critical reviewers, as a consistency checker, as a provider of alternative perspectives on unstructured data, or to break path dependencies in the process of data analysis. They can also help find interesting outcomes that qualitative insights could explain. At the same time, th...
2025-09-1052 minthis IS researchCognitive conflict, courage, humility, and respect: Ingredients for a productive academic discourseA new season of podcast episodes is starting and what better place to kick it off as the world’s largest business and management conference. We are recording this episode at in beautiful Copenhagen, made possible through a generous invite from who organized a recording studio for us. Being here amid symposia, professional development workshops, panels, and paper presentations makes us wonder: what does it take to produce great, stimulating, and productive academic discourse? Does it depend on the people that get invited to speak, is it about their ideas, or what else? We sit down with our friend with wh...
2025-08-2751 minthis IS researchElitism, conflicts of interest, and collusion in the information systems field?Is there collusion in our field? Do we have elites running wild, making sure that their work gets published whilst the rest of us struggles to find room to publish our own work? And are we handling conflicts of interest that may exist between authors and the editors who are charged with making decisions about their work? These are serious questions. They target the core of our field, they have the potential to undermine – or bolster – the legitimacy of all our scholarship, and they pose serious material consequences for all scholars, their careers and ultimately their lives. We came across a ne...
2025-07-0954 minthis IS researchThe great debateWhich research methods are better, quantitative or qualitative? What is more important, getting a richer picture of what goes on in organizations, or seeking generalizable insights about causality? This debate has raged at the very least since Glaser and Strauss popularized the grounded theory method in the mid twentieth century. In 2025, we want to put this debate to rest. We asked one of the best econometric scholars we know () and one of the best qualitative scholars we know () to fight this debate on air and come up with their very own end-of-all arguments. The result? It may surprise you: We...
2025-06-251h 04this IS researchAsk us anything - Part TwoWe continue with our special “Ask us anything” episode to celebrate the centenary of the This IS Research podcast. This time, we handle questions such as “do we have to worry about ontology?" - No; "should we engage in community building?" Yes; and “what have you learned from the podcast?” A whole lot - and we hope you have learned a thing or two along the way as well. Episode reading list Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977). Institutionalized Organizations: Formal Structure as Myth and Ceremony. American Journal of Sociology, 83(2), 340-363. James, W. (1907). Pragmatism: A New Name for Some Old Ways of Thinking...
2025-06-1145 minthis IS researchAsk us anything – Part oneWe have an anniversary to celebrate: one hundred episodes of the This IS Research podcast. We mark the occasion by answering questions we received from our audience: Which bear is the best, who likes a hug more... and what advice would we give about starting as an assistant professor, pivoting your research, and what books to read. All this and much more in part one of our “ask us anything” episode. Episode reading list Fort, T. (2003). The Book of Eels. HarperCollins. Nazar, S. (1999). A Beautiful Mind. Simon & Schuster. Frankl, V. E. (1946). Man’s Search for Meaning. Beacon Press. Ashby, W. R. (19...
2025-05-2839 minthis IS researchAre digital technologies helping to green our planet?In 2010, the Association for Information Systems formed a special interest group () to nurture an international community of academics that study the role of digital technologies in fostering environmentally, economically and socially sustainable development. Fifteen years later, we sit down with , the current SIGGreen president, to reflect on the progress we have made. What do we know about how digital technologies help greening our planet? What efforts in empirical, theoretical, and design work is still needed? Is our role to understand the role of digital technologies or do we need to push and enact change ourselves? We conclude that environmental questions...
2025-05-1453 minthis IS researchHow to be an editor 101, or: how to get away with bad paper decisionsis back on the show and he is bringing decades of experiences as a journal editor. So we decided we play a game of round robin where each of us is giving rules of what to do (or not to do) as an editor. How long can we sit on papers before we make decisions? On what basis should we offer revise and resubmit decisions? When is it okay to desk reject a paper? How many reviews are enough? So if you want to learn more about the different editorial superhuman powers and supervillain powers – this is your episode. Episode rea...
2025-04-301h 06this IS researchNew theories or new scripts for the digital age?Is there a formula for doing and publishing research on digital phenomena? And if so, it is the same formula as the scripts for IS papers of the past, or has it changed? We discuss how our field has historically worked with reference theories from other disciplines and how we have moved beyond this one way of doing and publishing research to a variety of ways in which we can build theory about digital phenomena. We suggest that reference theories should not be viewed as immutable sacred cows but rather as a tentative basis of received wisdom, which we must...
2025-04-0242 minthis IS researchLet’s all cheer for the Journal of the Association for Information SystemsOur field of information systems is in the fortunate position that we have our own independent and self-governed association (we have more than one, in fact), which publishes one of the true top journals of our field, which means that the journal is entirely in our control as members. But as , the current Editor-in-Chief of the argues, this privileged position also demands from us collective awareness, vigilance, and responsibility. We discuss some of the tensions that exist between journals and publishers and what it means for authors, reviewers, and editors to be mindful about journals and publishing platforms. We also...
2025-03-1956 minthis IS researchThe five best episodes to get you started with this podcastNick is traveling, Jan is sick - no time to produce a new episode in time. But fear not, we still have a giant archive of episodes that you may have forgotten or not even heard so far. So we picked five of our best episodes and link to them below so that you can re-visit them, or maybe you haven’t even gotten around to listening to them yet. All episodes can be found on the major podcasting platforms but you can also listen to them directly on the websites below. Episode links The IS field has no passion (10 No...
2025-03-0506 minthis IS researchIs hunting journal articles making us miss the boat of big ideas?Is the journal publishing process and the “game” around journal publishing forcing us to give up on big ideas and instead work on small ideas about trivial matters? We are not so sure. We think that science needs many different types of academics, and they have all sorts of different ideas, big and small, and we need outlets for expressing every single one of them. But outlets, like ideas, are not all equal. Journals are an incremental genre leaning toward rigor and thus risk type-2 errors. Book are an expansive genre learning towards big ideas – and thus risk type-1 errors. So the...
2025-02-1941 minthis IS researchAwards under the Christmas TreeLook at what Santa dropped when he came down the chimney last night. A bunch of valuable ThisISResearch Best paper Awards! As we do at the end of every year, we look back at the finest information systems scholarship our field has produced this year, and we pick some of our favorite papers that we want to give an award too. Like in previous years, we recognize three different kinds of best papers – a paper that is innovative in its use of research methods, a paper that is a fine example of elegant scholarship, and a paper that is trailblazing in...
2024-12-2532 minthis IS researchWhat do practitioners want from us?What do academics have to offer that practitioners do not already have? They have the data academics want. They can analyse it by themselves, sometimes better than academics. They are also not reading our articles. So why would academics bother engaging with them? Why should we even bridge that perceived or existing gap between theory and practice? Because academics need to dip their toes into practice, and they need to mingle with industry to stay relevant. So says Jonny Holmström, director and co-founder of the Swedish Center for Digital Innovation. He has been at the forefront of doing academic r...
2024-12-1155 minthis IS researchYou just did a bad job doing qualitative researchYou set up an assumption, you have a theory, you analyze your data, and you show that the assumption does not hold. Doing good qualitative research is that simple. Except that it’s not, of course. On the ground, in the research and writing process, these basic rules can be quite tricky to implement. So we discuss some heuristics researchers can use to limit their conversants, settle on suitable theoretical lenses to examine their data, and collecting more data than what they thought was necessary. References Geertz, C. (1973). The Interpretation Of Cultures. Basic Books. Goodall, J. (1986). The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patt...
2024-11-2751 minthis IS researchHave we lost our ability to create big impact?Did you know there is someone who published a MIS Quarterly paper in its inaugural issue in 1977 and has another one forthcoming in 2024? Hard to fathom but has published at least one paper in our top journal in every decade of its existence. Izak has been doing IS scholarship for almost fifty years, which makes him the perfect researcher to talk to about how the field has changed, where it is going, whether we are progressing well, and whether we maintain the optimal balance between social and technical, internal and external views of IS phenomena in our research. References Benbasat...
2024-11-1341 minthis IS researchCan you publish papers on digital technology in Academy of Management Review?We continue our discussion around theorizing about digital phenomena and publishing conceptual papers. Today, we are joined by , who has published several theoretical articles on digital technology in Academy of Management Review. He is also an AMR editor for a special issue on and he heads the Theory section as senior editor in the Journal of the Association for Information Systems. With Robert, we talk about the AMR publishing process, how it is different from mainstream IS journals and what we need to look out for when we generate theory about new digital phenomena. References Gregory, R. W., Henfridsson, O...
2024-10-3049 minthis IS researchJournal editorials that are must-reads for every IS scholarEditorials are spaces in journals where the key stewards of the field leave advice for others about what type of research the journals they lead are looking to publish. We discuss some of our favorite editorials and dissect the advice to dish out for finding important research problems, theorizing effectively, and writing persuasively. References Rai, A. (2016). Celebrating 40 Years of MIS Quarterly: MISQ’s History and Future Through the Lenses of its Editors-in-Chief. MIS Quarterly, 40(4), iii-xvi. Lee, A. S. (2001). Editor's Comments: Research in Information Systems: What We Haven't Learned. MIS Quarterly, 25(4), v-xv. Saunders, C. (2005). Editor's Comments: Looking for Diamond Cutters. MIS Qu...
2024-10-1637 minthis IS researchWhy you should never write a conceptual paperConceptual papers that offer new theories are hard to write and even harder to publish. You do not have empirical data to back up your arguments, which makes the papers easy to reject in the review cycle. We are also typically not well trained in theorizing, and there isn’t even a clear process to theorizing we could learn or follow. Does that mean that we shouldn’t even try to write theory papers? We ponder these questions, figure out what is so hard in writing conceptual papers – and share a few tricks that might help if you still wanted to wri...
2024-10-0251 minthis IS researchOrthogonal testing planes and electricity in the kitchenDid you know that when you spend time on an online platform, you could be experiencing between six to eight different experimental treatments that stem from several hundred A/B tests that run concurrently? That’s how common digital experimentation is today. And while this may be acceptable in industry, large-scale digital experimentation poses some substantial challenges for researchers wanting to evaluate theories and disconfirm hypotheses through randomized controlled trials done on digital platforms. Thankfully, the brilliant has a new paper forthcoming that illuminates the orthogonal testing plane problem and offers some guidelines for sidestepping the issue. So if experiments ar...
2024-09-1854 minthis IS researchThe three most useless slides in conference presentationsWe are back with the usual dose of fortnightly folksy academic wisdom sprinkled in with some serious and substantive conversations. We kick this new season off by discussing observations we made at this year’s Academy of Management conference in Chicago. We talk about how to get the most out of doctoral and junior faculty consortia, how to pick which session to go to, how papers get reviewed at conferences, which papers tend to get selected for presentation – and how to use your session as a platform to pitch your work and yourself and finish with a crescendo and a mic...
2024-09-0451 minthis IS researchHow to do a literature reviewMany people think of summer as the best time to read. On the beach, on the airplane to a vacation, in between semesters… Sounds like a perfect time to do a literature review. But there are many ways to do a literature review, and in all honesty, we think most people choose the wrong type of review – the “systematic” literature review where they select papers about a phenomenon, do a supposedly structured but not exhaustive search across IS journals, and then criticize the knowledge others have created. We discuss a few alternatives that we think hold more promise: qualitative and quantita...
2024-07-1059 minthis IS researchDid we learn anything?Time to reflect a bit. After our conversations with three excellent but very different IS researchers, we sit down and ponder the lessons we learnt from the three previous podcasts with , , and . So did we learn anything? You betcha. We talk about the balancing humble scholarship with the need to popularize important new insights, the difference between rigor and importance of research, and the different career pathways in industry and academia. References Miranda, S. M., Berente, N., Seidel, S., Safadi, H., & Burton-Jones, A. (2022). Computationally Intensive Theory Construction: A Primer for Authors and Reviewers. MIS Quarterly, 46(2), i-xvi. Alaimo, C., & Kallinikos, J. (2024...
2024-06-2641 minthis IS researchGeneralization or generalizability, that is the questionis with us today. She has done some amazing theory construct research using computational methods before this was really an accepted thing. We discuss which work she built her research around to give it legitimacy, what good stopping rules are for authors or reviewers to know when enough is enough, and how we can engage in humble generalizations of interesting and general regularities. References Miranda, S. M., Kim, I., & Summers, J. D. (2015). Jamming with Social Media: How Cognitive Structuring of Organizing Vision Facets Affects IT Innovation Diffusion. MIS Quarterly, 39(3), 591-614. Walsh, I., Holton, J. A., Bailyn, L., Fernandez, W. D...
2024-05-291h 01this IS researchThe Elon Musk of Information SystemsAccording to the internet, Elon Musk is often praised for his visionary mindset, innovation, risk-taking attitude, and energy. is just like that, we think. With the positivity he brings into every project and meeting, Jan has been right at the center of many seminal developments in our field over the past twenty years, from the rise of design science to the inception of NeuroIS, the development of literature reviews, and more recently the creation of process science. We take the opportunity to reflect with him on his work, the way he builds and steers highly successful research groups, and how...
2024-05-1556 minthis IS researchThe blank page problemResearch is a conversation. Every scholar must become a professional writer. But how do we learn these things? Most graduate school programs do not include a writing course and books on how to write are read even less than other types of books. Is good writing maybe all either genetics or just experience? Or does it depend on how we approach research, either phenomena- or theory-driven? We think both things matter – but there are also some practical steps people can take to get their writing going and maintain the flow of writing. As usual, the references to readings we mention ar...
2024-04-1733 minthis IS researchWhat is so special about special issues?The thing is, special issues are special. Hence the name. But what is it that makes them special? We look at some of the hottest special issues out there for information systems researchers and we discuss three key aspects of special issues – topical fit, competition, and process – that provide both advantages and disadvantages to researchers thinking about submitting to them. And for some weird reason we end up discussing our experiences at doctoral and junior faculty consortia and why everyone should attend them, always. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2024-04-0340 minthis IS researchEvery study is a case studyJan has a boy crush on IS Econ researchers while Nick thinks they reduce all phenomena to regressions. Time to put both myths – and a few others – to rest. We brought on the inimitable and wonderful and to talk about everything you ever wanted to know about economics, econometrics, difference-in-difference designs, mechanism identifications, analytical modeling, and forbidden comparisons. At the end of it all, Jan’s boy crush has subsided a little bit – which is probably good – and Nick’s theory that every study is just a case study is, well, still a theory. But Gordon and Brad share a wealth of in...
2024-03-2056 minthis IS researchNavigating the jagged frontier of computingGenerative AI is the biggest tech issue of our time. We might be witnessing history in the making. At least, so says , who is not only but also has been studying AI and innovation for years and who is part of an inter-disciplinary team that explores the impact of generative AI on professional practices. Together, we decipher what is new and what is not, what is different and what is the same, before and after tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney entered society at large. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2024-03-0659 minthis IS researchProfessional athletes make better scientistsTrivia question: which information systems scholar was a division one tennis professional and has an award-winning MIS Quarterly paper to her name? Of course, it can only be . She joins us today to talk about bots and cyborgs, how to deal with publishing pressures, and how to find a perfect co-author. Our solution is to build a Tinder platform that allows finding the perfect co-author match for your next project. And we agree that you should never put your name on a paper where you do not agree with every single sentence. As usual, the references to readings we mention...
2024-02-211h 01this IS researchYour best course of action is to cheat and put your name on every paperOne of the biggest cases of academic misconduct in recent times has been the case involving Francesca Gino, Dan Ariely, and Max Bazerman. Is there anything we can learn from this case and how it was handled? Nick and Jan are back from the winter break and dig straight into questionable research practices, whistleblowers, senior co-authors and what we as a field should be doing to prevent fraud to undermine our research contributions. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2024-02-0746 minthis IS researchTrailblazers, innovators, and elegant scholarsAs the year draws to a close, it is time for us to revisit some of the best IS scholarship that got published this year. Yes, time for the 3rd annual thisISresearch podcast awards. This year, it was particularly tough to choose so we just invented a new award! Tune in to find out who won the trailblazing research award, the innovative method award, and our brand-new elegant scholarship award! As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-12-2046 minthis IS researchThe songs by Lady Gaga will be forgottenWhat is so special about digital technology? Is digital innovation about architecture or is it about data? We talk with the enigmatic – truly one of the great thinkers in our field. Our conversation covers the ambivalence of digital objects, the role of data as records in organizations, the role of books in expressing broader ideas in scholarship, and whether information systems can or should delve into metaphysics at all. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-12-0653 minthis IS researchWho would think Management Science is Not a Top Information Systems Journal?Nick and Jan venture into new publishing territory. We talk with the fabulous , one of the information systems department editors at , about journal procedures, reviewer expectations, and innovations in the review process. We discuss how our field nurtures multiple communities that all share the aim of advancing information systems knowledge and scholarship. And it’s fair to say that both Nick and Jan now have Management Science more on the radar screen as an information systems outlet than before we produced this episode. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-11-2255 minthis IS researchJan does not research ChatGPT but that does not mean no one should.ChatGPT is back in our podcast one more time. Last time we talked about its impact on the academic enterprise. But ChatGPT is also the key digital technology issue of our time. It should be researched, of course, and we information systems researchers should jump on the opportunity to learn more about it. What are some of the questions that surround ChatGPT and similar forms of generative artificial intelligence? We look at a few research ideas at the individual, collective, firm, and economic level. And we conclude that whatever topic people are researching, their key challenge will be to theorize...
2023-11-0840 minthis IS researchDisclaimer: ChatGPT produced this episode.Or maybe it did not. Who knows? ChatGPT is here for the world to see and not even our podcast can avoid talking about it. All the firms we know have long started exploring ChatGPT and other generative AI technologies. Will generative AI also change the academic enterprise? Some suggest it already has. We think we are at the cusp of changes, both in degree and in kind. ChatGPT may help people get started and may even alleviate some of the laborious research tasks but at the end of the day, the academic profession is a person-centric profession built around...
2023-10-2554 minthis IS researchReference disciplines, conference venues, and Taylor SwiftIS as a field has the same problem that IT departments have in organizations - we think those other people should come to us with their questions about digitalization and benefit from our decades of wisdom! But we argue that this is not going to happen. It is our job (as it is the IT manager's job) to make the case for how we can help. OK, so that's a portion of what we talk about today. We actually meander a bit. We jump across a whole lot of topics, from IS' status as a reference discipline, the quarrels of...
2023-10-1155 minthis IS researchWe like big books and we cannot lieSomeone asked us to do an episode on books that shifted our thinking. So here we are and we each brought two books that changed the way we look at the world when we read them. We discuss these books and what new things they told us. And of course, it’s turning into a showoff about who remembers more from these books. And suffice to say: Jan loses this battle. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-09-2748 minthis IS researchAnything qualitative researchers write has been said beforeWhat are the secrets to publishing qualitative papers? We have no idea but does – after all he is one of the most prolific and impactful scholars on technology and organizing of our time. We grab the opportunity and ask him for his secret tricks. Together, we reflect on fancy words, detailed method descriptions, obligatory Glaser and Strauss citations, and how many books you really need to read before doing an inductive study. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-09-131h 00this IS researchI know that you HARKed last summerSummer is over, all wine is consumed, and all vegetables harvested. Time for this IS research to get back to work. We kick off the new season by talking about questionable research practices – HARKing, p-hacking, fishing for asterisks, data dredging, and so on. Nick digs out an old paper Jan wrote, and we use it to discuss the situations in which HARKing might be commonsense or outright unethical and we try to identify how best to protect against questionable research practices. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-08-3046 minthis IS researchShiny new ideas for the next decadeAfter talking about the big theories from the past millennium, it is time to talk about the ideas that emerged after the year 2000. From sociomaterality and two-sided markets to temporal networks, modularity, and routine dynamics – contemporary scholarship is ripe with new ideas that warrant further development, empirical exploration, and rigorous testing. It is truly a wonderful time to be an information systems scholar! And just on the side, we set a new record for material referenced on the podcast. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-07-1255 minthis IS researchRemember we were in a pandemic?It feels like a long time ago now but one of the main reasons we started this podcast was because there was a pandemic going on that impacted our ability to manage work and private life. Is there anything we should have learned from that time? What changed since then if anything and what may still need changing? We talk about this with . She did research on the impact of the pandemic on the productivity of IS researchers, which allows us now to discuss what the broader takeaways are from that time for our field. As usual, the references to...
2023-06-281h 01this IS researchYou think you have a lot on your plate?Many people do service to their community but usually one thing at a time. Today we speak with someone who is not only president of our global association and co-chair of our main conference at the same time but also the editor-in-chief of one of our top journals, . clearly cannot say no – he even agreed to talk with us on the podcast. We discuss the expanding scope of scholarship that he wants to see published in Information Systems Research, the different roles that editors must play, how the Association for Information Systems made our field truly global, and what wonderful thi...
2023-06-141h 02this IS researchNever create a journal unless it is JMISWe have a very special guest, , who is both the founding and current editor-in-chief of the . He founded the journal in 1984 and he has been the only editor-in-chief ever since. Also, he has no intention of handing the reins to anyone else soon. We discuss what sets JMIS apart from the other top journals in our field, what the IS world looked like at the time when the journal was founded, and whether our discipline has moved into a better space since those early days (spoiler alert: yes, it has). As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed o...
2023-05-3154 minthis IS researchThe Big Five Theories from the Last MillenniumWhat are the big ideas and streams of thinking from before the turn of the millennium that have shaped our field and may still be relevant today? For once, we did some homework to review some of the theories from before the year 2000 that we think everyone should know about. So whether you are studying AI or algorithmic aversion, digital transformation or digital innovation, you have no business continuing your research without knowing these gems from the past. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-05-1746 minthis IS researchNick, man of the peopleTime to tie up some loose ends. We learned so much from our guests in the previous three episodes and we touched on so many topics that we feel we need to revisit some of these. So we once again discuss what we think about the new list of eleven premier journals, we discuss what good career advice looks like in different regions of IS scholarship, and we begin to wonder whether all theories are truly equal. And of course, we are figuring out which of us is the alpha male on this podcast. As usual, the references to readings...
2023-05-0348 minthis IS researchWhat’s been done, what’s been found, and what it meansWe continue our series of episodes in which we talk about several of the most important journals in our field. Today, we speak with , editor-in-chief of the . We talk about several innovations the journal has implemented and the range of genres that are welcome. We also talk about what makes truly great papers different and what distinguishes a literature review from a theoretical paper. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-04-191h 01this IS researchBeing an institutional custodian of our fieldWe are starting a new series of episodes in which we talk about several of the most important journals in our field. We kick things off with , the editor-in-chief of the . We talk about the history and the role of the journal in our field, what initiatives are underway to move the field forward, and of course what matters when you are trying to publish in this journal. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-04-051h 03this IS researchPower, politics, and the senior scholar list of premier journalsThe decided to expand their list of designated “premier journals” in our field from 8 to 11. What does this mean? How are these decisions being made? Who makes these decisions? We explore these questions with our good old friend who has been a member of the task force that championed this decision. With her, we discuss politics in the information systems community, the governance of our community, and the question of how our journals and conferences could or should operate. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-03-2258 minthis IS researchOur bag of tricks for getting publishedWe can talk about impactful, joyful, and meaningful research all we want, but most of us just want to get published. Literally, our careers depend on it. So how do we do it? what are little secrets that turn good research into great papers, that get you over the line from rejection candidate to conditional acceptance? We discuss some of the techniques we use ourselves, that we see others use, and that we come across as editors. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-03-081h 03this IS researchFour golden rulesResearch is a collaborative effort. Most of the time, we are not writing papers alone but together with others. Sometimes we lead the effort, sometimes we are the second author, sometimes we only have a small role to play. Coauthoring papers often leads to tensions, frustrations and disappointments. Are there any rules about co-authorship? We think there are. We give you four rules about how to be the best co-author. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2023-02-2245 minthis IS researchThere is so much great research out thereTeaching is done for many of us, we’ve had main our conference, our papers and revisions are submitted. What’s left to do? Rewind, reflect, and celebrate the great work accomplished this year. And given that n = 2 equals a tradition, we dish out awards this year just like last year. This time, we celebrate the year’s most trailblazing theories, the most innovative methods, the most timely case studies, and the best design research artifacts. Tune in and listen, make sure to read the great exemplar works, and follow us also in 2023 when we return. As usual, the references to rea...
2022-12-2151 minthis IS researchPhilosophy, againResearchers do not care about philosophy because it adds no value to their experiment. They just go out into the world and do their work. So say some if not many scientists, but disagrees. With him we discuss whether some questions of philosophy such as ontology and epistemology even matter to information systems research, which topics and questions lend themselves to philosophical reasoning, and whether we can disassociate philosophical ideas from the people that proposed them. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2022-12-0751 minthis IS researchCausality Meets DiversityOur top journal is called MIS Quarterly, not Causality Quarterly. Or is it? How should we go about building and testing causal explanations in our research and how do different approaches to causality complement each other? We invited , , , and as our guests. They recently published an editorial on this topic and we use this opportunity to pick their brains about experiments, econometrics, counterfactual, correlational and configurational views of establishing causality. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2022-11-2345 minthis IS researchWe might just be better than BourdieuCan we theorize with the best scholars sociology has to offer? Perhaps we are not quite as bad with jargon monoxide as they are. We do pay more attention to technology than they do. On the other hand, our chase of new technology and our publish or perish paradigm are stopping us from even trying to do the big, timeless stuff. So if you are interested in our lengthy rant about jargon, social theory, institutions, sociomateriality and publishing, tune in and enjoy. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2022-11-091h 01this IS researchTalking Data Privacy and GovernanceNick is annoyed with accepting cookies on websites and wonders if the transactional "notice and choice" approach really does anything to benefit the world. So what's the alternative? We asked the expert to join our podcast again and chat with us about this. We ask whether there really is a "privacy paradox", how fields such as information systems, engineering, law, and ethics and others approach this topic, and whether we are paternalistic elitists or not. Then Kirsten unplugs Nick's Wi-Fi so he quits interrupting her… As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2022-10-2649 minthis IS researchWriting papers on how to write papersDid you know you have to search engine-optimize your papers? Makes sense now that you know it, doesn’t it. We wish we would have known years ago. We sift through some of the most recent papers on how to write good papers and contrast them with our own experiences. Turns out we all wish we could change the title of our papers in hindsight. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2022-10-1253 minthis IS researchDesign science dysfunctionsIt’s late at night. Only because Jan has been asked to talk about something he knows very little about so we asked someone at the other side of the planet for help – the wonderful . With her on the show, it is finally time to talk about design science, clichés and stereotypes. We wonder whether more people write about doing design science than actually do design science, how scholarly design research has to be, and why might be the most successful design scientist of all time. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2022-09-2850 minthis IS researchThe worst things editors can doJournals are really all about their editors. So when journals are bad, it really means editors were bad. But what do we mean by that and what should editors do instead? Of course, as usual we have our own views. So tune in and listen as we share our stories of “the worst things an editor can do.” As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2022-09-1442 minthis IS researchJournals are like newspapers except that they’re notThis IS research is back for its fourth season. We start off by discussing the journal space for information systems researchers. What are our top journals, what are differences between them and how should authors decide where to submit their work? Tune in to find out. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .
2022-08-3157 minthis IS researchEngagement, relevance, and beautiful artifactsAndrew van de Ven passed away but there are other scholars out there that push the idea of engaged scholarship further. One of these is from Australia. He joins us to share his thoughts about whether papers or researchers should be relevant, why impact can be an intrinsic motivation, and why our research artifacts should not only be valid and reliable but also beautiful. As usual, the references to all readings we mention are listed on .
2022-06-2956 minthis IS researchThe CrossoverWe venture into unknown territories. We team up with our friends Alex and Philipp from the German podcast “”, which comes out of the Vienna University of Economics and Business and is run by PhD students , , , and . If you understand German – or aspire to learn it – you should follow their podcast. Together, we discuss what makes a great or a good PhD student, whether PhD students need to create a researcher identity for themselves, and how academics can deal with envy. As usual, the references to all readings we mention are listed on .
2022-06-1557 minthis IS researchThe one where Nick explains how to do computationally intensive theory constructionJune is here and a new paper is out that argues that empirical patterns are publishable in our top journals. Really? Really. In this episode, Jan plays the interviewer and Nick is the interviewee in what is essentially a Q&A session about computationally intensive theory construction, which Nick argues will be a key part of the future of information systems research. As usual, the references to all readings we mention are listed on .
2022-06-0154 minthis IS researchWhy we love what we doOur audiences may be full of jerks and we may fail all the time – but we still love being academics. Why is that? We feel it is time to talk about some of the good things we associate with this role in our society and why being an academic and spending your life in this profession might just be a truly wonderful thing after all. As usual, the references to all readings we mention are listed on .
2022-05-1851 minthis IS researchResilience is keySometimes, we simply fail. Our hypotheses may not be supported. Our ability to access data might evaporate. We may fail to convince a review panel. We may not get that grant or that job position that we were after. How do we deal with such failure when it is so regular and eminent in our work? We are trying to figure that out and also try to find some words of wisdom to pass onto others. Thankfully, we have on the show to help us out. Together, we conclude that resilience is key but different people have different ways to...
2022-05-0456 minthis IS researchWhen your audience is full of jerksSurprise! is back on the show, our first repeat guest. But only because we continue our recent philosophy of making impromptu changes to our planned recordings. This time we end up talking about presenting research and handling questions from the audience. Jan suggests some jerkiness can be a good thing while Nick things we should all play nice. And Youngjin? He suggests both is fine. As usual, the references to all readings we mention are listed on .
2022-04-2048 minthis IS researchGetting things doneJan is in Sweden and the audio quality is not great. Meanwhile, Nick is busy and he needs a dose of project management expertise. We discuss how we manage our time and our projects and how we engage in collaborations. After Recker’s rules for humble-bragging failed to get much traction, we now give you the Berente rules for starting collaborations. As usual, the references to all readings we mention are listed on .
2022-04-0639 minthis IS researchPragmatism, Baby!We wanted to talk about something else. But regardless, what matters is that we ended up here: what is positivism and interpretivism – and does that distinction even matter anymore to information systems research in the age of digital traces and computationally-intensive methods? And so this is how you end up with a debate about philosophy without any preparation whatsoever. As usual, the references to all the articles we mention are listed on .
2022-03-2349 minthis IS researchNo-one is writing books anymoreScholars read books. But to be able to read books, someone has to write them. And who does that anymore? We asked , an information systems and computer science researcher who wrote several successful books, to tell us about the role of books, the value of books, the publishing of books – and how we can get more people like him to become involved in business-oriented information systems research. As usual, the references to all the articles we mention are listed on .
2022-03-091h 03this IS researchHumblebragging and click-bait researchThis IS research is back for a new season and Jan and Nick are eager to run their mouth again. This time, they chat about how we as a community measure and communicate research outcomes and success. Have we created a culture where we pursue click-bait research to improve our standing on some self-created ranking lists that count our productivity but not our scholarly contributions? Also, Jan admits that he has learned something from Nick – for the first time. As usual, the references to all the articles we mention are listed on .
2022-02-231h 00this IS researchWelcome to the OscarsIt is award season and it is time to celebrate the highlights of 2021. We decided to hand out two awards, the Trailblazing Research Award, and the Innovative Research Approach Award, to recognize brilliant work done by our colleagues in 2021. Find out who got nominated and who won the awards in this final episode of this podcast before we take a small break. Happy new year everybody! In this episode, the intro and outro music were produced by . As usual, the references to all the articles we mention are listed on .
2022-01-0143 minthis IS researchNaughty grounded theoryJan and Nick are both fan boys of grounded theory so it is about time we talk to someone who knows more about it than we do. Thankfully, agreed to join us. With her we talk about the procedures and outcomes of grounded theorizing, what sort of contributions we can build through this approach and whether IS scholars should build grand or substantive theories. But because Cathy has been around the block a long time, we also talk about our own community institutions and whether they need a reform. In short, we are being naughty. As usual, the readings we...
2021-12-221h 04this IS researchJan is a hipster and survey research is deadWe talk about the dominant research method in information systems, survey research. Can you believe that still one in five papers in our main journals are based on surveys? We think survey research is past its prime – or is it? We discuss what is so good and what is so difficult about it. We try to find a future in which survey is one key part of our method portfolio and how it can continue to stand as a cornerstone of our IS knowledge tradition. As usual, the readings we refer to are listed on .
2021-12-0850 minthis IS researchWhen our journals were almost emptyImagine there was a time where the was struggling to fill its issues. Can’t believe it? Well so it was in the early 2000s says our guest, . With him, we continue our conversation about the history of the information systems field. Ron was around when a new digital technology called E-mail got introduced in a small cluster of U.S. universities in the 1980s. We discuss about the need for a core of the information systems field, theoretical progress in the field, how accessible or precise ideas have to be to create a following, and how academics can learn to...
2021-11-241h 08this IS researchThe IS field has no passionSo says at least , our guest today. He is the head of the Case mafia - or so at least Jan says - and the main referent of the infamous number – or so at least Nick says. We pick Kalle’s brain a little bit to learn more about the origins of the information systems field and what is was really like in the 80s and 90s. We also talk about publishing in the old days and now, the debates in our field at that time and why they stopped, and what we can learn from the past that helps us a...
2021-11-1051 minthis IS researchAre designers of digital technologies responsible for them?We are joined by , a technology and ethics expert. We talk about who is responsible – and who is accountable – for what algorithms do. But as usual we drift off onto tangents: we talk about how to publish on technology and ethics, why emergent scholars focus more on these topics than before, what we can do to help them, and how we engage in normative writing. As usual, the readings we refer to are listed on .
2021-10-2759 minthis IS researchAffordances is the new TAMJan’s voice is loud and clear but Nick comes up with the better phrases. Or does he? In this episode, Nick and Jan discuss the history and role of affordances theory in information systems. Are we actually contributing to this theory or are we just using it? Should we abandon it, just as we abandoned TAM? Or how can we move forward with affordances theory and what options does it allow pursuing for us as a field? Join us to find out. As usual, the readings we refer to are listed on .
2021-10-1349 minthis IS researchTheorizing about new technology? No problem!Jan received an invite to join a paper about a new technology he has no clue about. Of course, he joins the research project. Jan and Nick use the occasion to discuss a few questions: How do we actually theorize about new technologies? Why is this so important to us in comparison to other fields? And should we principally fill gaps or solve problems?
2021-09-2943 minthis IS researchIs AI Ground Truth Really "True"?We have the brilliant , , and on the show and we talk about a lot of things. We talk about how they constructed their ethnography on , what they initially planned to do (AI in HR), how valuable digital seminars can be, and why Natalia refuses to upgrade her dropbox plan. Lebovitz, S., Levina, N., & Lifshitz-Assaf, H. (2021). Is AI Ground Truth Really “True”? The Dangers of Training and Evaluating AI Tools Based on Experts’ Know-What. MIS Quarterly, 45(3), 1501-1525.
2021-09-1555 minthis IS researchCan AI be fair?We have a truly inter-disciplinary team as guests. is a computer scientist, is a business ethics expert, and is a seasoned information systems researcher. They wrote a really special paper, an issues and opinions commentary about . We talk about their paper, how the different disciplines operate, and what it takes to publish conceptual papers. Teodorescu, M., Morse, L., Awwad, Y., & Kane, G. C. (2021). Failures of Fairness in Automation Require a Deeper Understanding of Human–ML Augmentation. MIS Quarterly, 45(3), 1483-1499.
2021-09-1337 minthis IS researchAI on DrugsDrug discovery is an enormously complicated and important process and artificial intelligence can be a key tool for the bio-pharma industry moving forward. We talk with about her paper with Bowen Lou on "." We learn a lot about this idea came about, how they collaborated and also a few things about chemistry and the bio-pharma field. Wu, L., & Lou, B. (2021). AI on Drugs: Can Artificial Intelligence Accelerate Drug Development? Evidence from a Large-scale Examination of Bio-pharma Firms. MIS Quarterly, 45(3), 1451-1482.
2021-09-1132 minthis IS researchWill Humans-in-the-Loop Become Borgs?IS researchers do not use enough Star Trek references. Thankfully, is a Trekkie and convinced his co-authors to title their paper " He joins our conversation together with his co-author . Together, we talk about how collaborating on papers is easier across time zones, what makes a paper accessible to an audience, and whether or not formal theory benefits a paper or distracts from its contributions. Fügener, A., Grahl, J., Gupta, A., & Ketter, W. (2021). Will Humans-in-the-Loop Become Borgs? Merits and Pitfalls of Working with AI. MIS Quarterly, 45(3), 1527-1556.
2021-09-0937 minthis IS researchStrategic Directions for AIHow is a strategic AI orientation different from an IT orientation? and are on our show and talk about their paper “.” We learn about how their survey of CIOs and boards of directors, how IS scholars work together in the Hong Kong ecosystem, and we discuss ways in which paper projects can be managed. Li, J., Li, M., Wang, X., & Thatcher, J. B. (2021). Strategic Directions for AI: The Role of CIOs and Boards of Directors. MIS Quarterly, 45(3), 1603-1643.
2021-09-0733 minthis IS researchCoordinating Human and Machine LearningWe are joined by to talk about the paper “,” which he co-authored with Timo Sturm, Luisa Pumplun, Neda Mesbah, Felix Peters, Christoph Tauchert, Ning Nan, and Peter Buxmann. We learn about how the idea came about, what the role of simulations is in IS research, and how you can manage an ambitious paper project using Scrum principles. Sturm, T., Gerlach, J. P., Pumplun, L., Mesbah, N., Peters, F., Tauchert, C., Nan, N., & Buxmann, P. (2021). Coordinating Human and Machine Learning for Effective Organizational Learning. MIS Quarterly, 45(3), 1581-1602.
2021-09-0525 minthis IS researchWhen the Machine Meets the ExpertWe talk with and about their paper “.” In our conversation, we touch upon doing ethnographies, establishing collaborations with industry firms, and how a paper changes through the review process. van den Broek, E., Sergeeva, A., & Huysman, M. (2021). When the Machine Meets the Expert: An Ethnography of Developing AI for Hiring. MIS Quarterly, 45(3), 1557-1580.
2021-09-0328 minthis IS researchManaging Artificial IntelligenceThe new issue of the is out and it features a special issue on "Managing Artificial Intelligence" that Nick and Jan have been co-producing with and . Time to discuss what we have done, how it all went, and what we learned. Over the next fortnight, we will also release new episodes every two days, each one featuring a conversation with the author teams featuring in the special issue. Be prepared to learn everything possible about what AI is and what managing AI means. As usual, the readings we refer to are listed on http://www.janrecker.com/this-is-research-podcast/.
2021-09-0134 minthis IS researchLive at AMCIS 2021Nick and Jan are back from vacation and the new season of this IS research is underway. We kick things off in a live session in the at the Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS), held virtually on 13 August 2021. With our hosts and we talk about the role of conferences for IS academics and share a few experiences and tips for doctoral students for how to start collaborations, present at conferences, and prepare for job talks. As usual, the readings we refer to are listed on .
2021-08-1851 minthis IS researchHave you considered the Technology Acceptance Model?Our first season comes to a close. This is the last episode before Nick and Jan take a break over the summer. We tie up a few loose ends, talk about academia as a competition, and share a few funny stories we encountered while being IS academics. As usual, the readings we refer to are listed on http://www.janrecker.com/this-is-research-podcast/.
2021-06-2353 minthis IS researchIs Relevance Irrelevant?Should every information systems research paper be relevant to practice? Does research need to be relevant in the first place? And if relevance is relevant, how should we engage with practitioners about our research? We discuss relevance of information systems research, how the field's view of relevance may have changed and what researchers might do if they wish to be relevant to practice. As usual, the readings we refer to are listed on http://www.janrecker.com/this-is-research-podcast/.
2021-06-091h 03this IS researchFrom theorizing to imposter syndrome and backWe are joined on the show by from Case Western Reserve University, who Nick calls “the energizer bunny” of theoretical ideas. With him, we discuss how we develop theory. But being the idea generator that he is, we end up discussing all sorts of things, from the role of science in the societal discourse, to theorizing practices, to feelings of imposter syndrome, and other topics. As usual, the readings we refer to are listed on http://www.janrecker.com/this-is-research-podcast/.
2021-05-261h 05this IS researchEvery contribution can be interesting but not all of them areNick and Jan discuss what contributions are, how they can be composed, and which contributions are interesting – and whether they need to be interesting in the first place. Do contributions by scientific papers need an element of surprise? Are obvious contributions okay? As usual, he readings we refer to are listed on http://www.janrecker.com/this-is-research-podcast/.
2021-05-1245 minthis IS researchCareers on the lineJan and Nick are still processing what they learned from . Both gave advice to young researchers, but Jan and Nick are not sure they agree, so they end up constructing their own advice for how to build a career in information systems research. In the episode, we mention a few exemplary IS scholars, among others, , , , , , , , , and . As usual, readings relevant to this episode can be found at http://www.janrecker.com/this-is-research-podcast/careers-on-the-line-28-april-2021/.
2021-04-2850 minthis IS researchWho is reviewing the reviewers?Jan is annoyed. He received reviews and of course they were critical of his work. But what makes a good review? When do reviews stop being helpful? And do we need a new reviewing culture? Nick and Jan suggest we do. As usual, the readings we refer to are listed on http://www.janrecker.com/this-is-research-podcast/.
2021-04-1448 minthis IS researchWhen sociologists meet computer scientistsInformation systems is a discipline nestled between the organizational sciences and the computer sciences. How do these different fields view each other? We ask Brian Pentland (an organizational sociologist) and Wil van der Aalst (a computer scientist). Both work on the same topic - processes and routines - but within different communities. We explore whether these communities are coming together and what advice young researchers receive in the different fields. As usual, the readings we refer to are listed on http://www.janrecker.com/this-is-research-podcast/.
2021-03-2655 minthis IS researchMethod-ismWhat are the big methodological movements at the moment that potentially shape the future of IS research? What are the most popular methods IS researchers use? How do we do research in the golden age of digital trace data? As usual, the readings we refer to are listed on http://www.janrecker.com/this-is-research-podcast/.
2021-03-1758 minthis IS researchLearning from Brad Greenwood about Econometrics of ISWhat do econometricians do? Do they really care more about statistics than explanations? Nick and Jan ask Brad Greenwood from George Mason University and try to reconcile their views of what good research is. As usual, the papers we discuss in this episode at listed at http://www.janrecker.com/this-is-research-podcast/.
2021-03-0356 minthis IS researchIs all technology digital?Is there a difference between digital technologies and regular IT? Are we in a new wave of technology that changes our society and business, or is it all just the same technology and we've been here before? Do we need to develop new theories about technology and organizing or do our old assumptions still hold? Nick and Jan explore these possibilities and try to reach a shared conclusion. You can find the papers we discuss in this episode at .
2021-02-1744 minthis IS researchHow ethical can we be?Jan and Nick discuss ethics dilemmas they faced and try to figure out what advice they would give to others that work and publish in teams on information systems research problems. You can find papers we discuss in this episode at .
2021-02-1152 minthis IS researchDo we need theory for high-impact science?How important is theory to research? Do design research, AI, and predictive modeling change the need for theoretical contributions? And what is high impact research anyway? You can find the papers we discuss in this episode at .
2021-02-0947 min