ISIG occasional lectures

Two seminars by Allen Lee

1. Retrospect and prospect: Information systems research in the last and next 25 years

Tuesday 26 October 2010
1130-1300

room NAB 2.06

To its detriment, past research in information systems has taken for granted many of its own key concepts, including “information,” “theory,” “system,” “organization,” and “relevance.”  This essay examines these concepts, shows how they have been neglected, and offers the prospect in which research in information systems no longer models itself on the research disciplines found in the natural and social sciences, but instead charts a course for its future development by modeling itself on the research disciplines found in the professions, such as medicine, engineering, architecture, and law.

2. Conceptualizing generalizability: A reply

Thursday 28 October 2010
1700-1830
Graham Walla Room

Allen S. Lee and Richard L. Baskerville published the article, "Generalizing Generalizability," in the journal Information Systems Research in 2003. Detmar Straub, current editor-in-chief of MIS Quarterly, has conditionally accepted an article which attacks Lee and Baskerville's ISR article and he has offered them the opportunity to provide a response.  In this response, Lee and Baskerville go even further than in their ISR article, including a nuts-and-bolts demonstration of how to generalize a theory, tested in one setting, to a new setting and, at the same time, how to address the ethics of violating Hume's Truism (also known as Hume's problem of induction).

Allen Lee is a Visiting Professor with the Information Systems and Innovation Group. His articles, book chapters, editorials, and conference presentations have examined the use of research methods in the scientific study of information systems, including interpretive, positivist, qualitative, and case study methods. He is currently Professor of Information Systems and Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies in the School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Please note that public events organised by ISIG are normally videoed and streamed from our website. If you do not wish to appear in the video please inform the camera operator before the start of the session and seat yourself where you will not be inadvertently be in the field of view of the camera. If you do not inform us of your wish not to be recorded we will presume your consent to being included in the video.

Page last updated 21 October 2010

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