All Information Systems and Innovation doctoral students attend weekly research seminars which feature presentations and discussions from doctoral students, invited speakers and academic members of the Information Systems and Innovation Faculty group.
First year
Courses prepare you for research in organisational phenomena associated with IT innovation, and the management of IT-enabled organisational and social change. In consultation with your academic supervisor, you will settle on a definite research topic by the end of the first year and write a research paper in your major field. At the end of this first year, your progress is reviewed to establish that you are on track to upgrade from MPhil to PhD status. Courses include:
Information Systems PhD Seminar Series and Workshops
Compulsory (not examined). Add description.
Foundations of Social Research in Information Systems: Paradigms and Traditions DELETE
Introduces the foundations of social research and the key issues concerning the status of knowledge and the forms by which it is acquired.
Research Traditions and Paradigms in IS and Organisations
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.
Introduction to Quantitative Analysis
Intensive introduction to quantitative data analysis in the social sciences, covering the foundations of descriptive statistics and statistical estimation and inference. Computer classes give hands-on training in the application of statistical techniques to real social science research problems.
Qualitative Research Methods
Covers the fundamentals of qualitative research methods with opportunities to put those methods into practice. It prepares you to design, carry out, report, read and evaluate qualitative research projects.
Managing Digital Platform Innovation
Covers the dynamics of large-scale digital service platforms and their associated ecosystems, with a focus on facilitating in-depth debates on complex research issues related to platform and infrastructure innovation.
A Social Sciences Perspective of Academic Research in Management
A non-assessed training course which enables an understanding of different research disciplines in management through a social science lens. The course also aims to develop academic presentation skills.
Research Paper in Management
A research paper between 7,000 and 15,000 words related to your designated major field.
In addition, you will be required to complete elective courses from a range of options, including:
- Doing Ethnography
- Qualitative Research with Digital and Visual Data
- Qualitative Text and Discourse Analysis
- Advanced Qualitative Research Workshops
- Applied Regression Analysis
- Multivariate Analysis and Measurement
- Social Networks Analysis
Second, third and fourth year
In years two to four of the programme, you are expected to dive deep into your research and write your thesis. While writing the thesis you will attend weekly seminars for Information Systems and Innovation PhD students, but can also attend other regular research seminars that may be relevant to your research.
For details on timelines and assessment, please refer to the section on 'supervision, progression and assessment'.
You can find the most up-to-date list of courses in the Programme Regulations section of the current School Calendar.
You must note however that while care has been taken to ensure that this information is up to date and correct, a change of circumstances since publication may cause the School to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees that apply to it. The School will always notify the affected parties as early as practicably possible and propose any viable and relevant alternative options. Note that that the School will neither be liable for information that after publication becomes inaccurate or irrelevant, nor for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study due to events outside of its control, which includes but is not limited to a lack of demand for a course or programme of study, industrial action, fire, flood or other environmental or physical damage to premises.
You must also note that places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements. The School cannot therefore guarantee you a place. Please note that changes to programmes and courses can sometimes occur after you have accepted your offer of a place. These changes are normally made in light of developments in the discipline or path-breaking research, or on the basis of student feedback. Changes can take the form of altered course content, teaching formats or assessment modes. Any such changes are intended to enhance the student learning experience. You should visit the School’s Calendar, or contact the relevant academic department, for information on the availability and/or content of courses and programmes of study. Certain substantive changes will be listed on the updated graduate course and programme information page.