Foundations of Social Research in Information Systems: Paradigms and Traditions

IS492

Half/ full unit

Half

Professor J Kallinikos  NAB 3.24
Dr S Madon                Room NAB 3.36

Compulsory for MSc Information Systems and Organisations (Research).

The course introduces the foundations of social research and the key issues concerning the status of knowledge and the forms by which it is acquired.

The course deals with the principal paradigms/traditions in the philosophy of science and epistemology and the answers they have provided to the basic questions concerning the status of knowledge claims and the forms by which valid knowledge claims can be made. The main focus of the course concerns the ways by which these key epistemological paradigms have been applied in the fields of Information Systems and Organization Studies.
The course is structured around the following basic epistemological paradigms:

• Positivism
• Critical Realism
• Constructivism
• Hermeneutics, Phenomenology
• Critical Theory
• Structuralism
• Postmodernism

Michaelmas term

Lectures

9 x 2 hours

Michaelmas term

Classes

8 x 1 hour

A 3,000 word unassessed essay on which students will receive feedback, to be submitted by the last week of the Michaelmas term .

• Archer, M. et al. (eds.), (1998) Critical Realism, Readings. London: Routledge;
• Crotty, M. (1998), The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process. London: Sage;
• Dreyfus, H & Rabinow, P. (1982) Michel Foucault: Beyond Structuralism and Hermeneutics. London: Harvester;
• Lakatos, I. & Musgrave, A. (eds.) (1970) Criticism and the Growth of Knowledge. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press;
• Morgan, G. (1983) Beyond Method: Strategies for Social Research. London: Sage;
• Myers, M.D. & Avison, D. (eds.) (2002) Qualitative Research in Information Systems. London: Sage.

An essay of between 5,000-7,000 words to be submitted by the end of April.