Looking at the past to enrich the future: a reflection on Klein and Myers’ quality criteria for interpretive research

In the last two decades, interpretive research has become more established and more popular in information systems field. The work of Klein and Myers (1999) consists of a set of principles for conducting and evaluating interpretive research, which provide fair and appropriate criteria for assessing the validity and reliability of such studies and, given the number of citations, has had a significant impact in the interpretive research literature. Our article focuses on understanding how this set of principles has informed research articles published in two of the highest-ranked information systems journals and, specifically, questions if these principles have been translated into common practices when conducting interpretive research in the field of information systems and whether authors incorporate them explicitly when they communicate the results of their research. We reviewed articles published in Management Information Systems Quarterly and Information Systems Research, collected any explicit or implicit evidence of quality criteria that informed the research, and highlighted direct or indirect reference to Klein and Myers criteria. We summarize and compare our findings in a comprehensive table, and note that, apparently, the principle of hermeneutic circle and the principle of suspicion are the most explicitly discussed in this sample. Moreover, Klein and Myers’ set of principles seem to have had a greater influence in the papers published in the period from 2002 to 2006. This study provides a reflexion about methodological rigor in interpretive research that, to our knowledge, had never been done. Thus, the findings here presented may be useful for junior researchers and doctorate level students to understand how validity and quality criteria are enacted in high-quality interpretive research and, we hope, may encourage them to build on the exemplary work of the authors we reviewed and thus to contribute to enriching the literature of qualitative research methodology in information systems field.(undefined

Discount Focus Subgroup Method: An innovative form of focus group method used in researching an emerging technology

This paper develops an innovative form of focus group method –named “discount focus subgroups” (DFSG) – through its application to a research aimed at identifying the ethical and social concerns of using a new emerging technology, called “near field communication” (NFC), for mobile payments. The developed form of focus group method was needed to address challenges encountered when this research was conducted. These include the limited financial research resources, the emergent nature of the research topic, and the challenges of gathering and analyzing qualitative data. The current paper shows when to use the DFSG method, and how. It provides methodological steps for its application, which can be followed in researching emerging topics in Information Systems (IS). This followed by section which discusses why DFSG is an innovative method, and provides reflections on its application

Beyond Intuition: Towards a Framework for Empirical-Based Design Theory Building in Design Science Research

Over the past twenty years, Design Science Research (DSR) has received major attention within the IS domain. Besides constructing and evaluating artefacts, researchers put effort into theorizing on IT design and its effects on users. Here, the development and testing of design theories is of major interest. Yet, design theory studies often lack empirical investigations on the identification of appropriate design features. Whereas in general DSR activities incorporate empirical investigations on many levels, the intertwined development of a theoretical model in connection with design features can further profit from empirical investigations by exploring the design realm of a specific context. We therefore propose a qualitative five-step approach suitable for inducing design features and theoretical constructs by engaging experienced stakeholders. We present a case study on the development of a support system for physiotherapeutic treatments, illustrating the proposed approach

Using Learning Management Systems to Scaffold Collaborative and Interactive Teaching and Learning

The Sustainable Development Goal 4 of the United Nations advocates for inclusive and equitable quality education for all despite the unique circumstances faced by the learners and the teachers. Such circumstances could be economic, social or natural such as the COVID-19 Pandemic, which led to disruptions on the school calendar. Although several institutions of Higher Learning transited to online teaching using Learning Management Systems (LMS), the use of technology in ensuring interactivity and collaboration, which are crucial aspects of learning, needs to be examined more closely to establish its effectiveness. Given the fact that COVID -19 will be with us in the unforeseeable future, online teaching is here to stay. It is thus imperative to improve it so that the quality of education is not compromised. Previous research has shown the importance of Technology, Pedagogy and Content knowledge in effective delivery. LMS and related tools have been used to change the view of technology in the classroom, and the facilitator’s role is being re-evaluated. Successful facilitators look for innovative ways to scaffold the learning process. Instructional scaffolding is the process of supporting students in order to enhance learning and aid in the mastery of tasks. The aim of this study was to establish how LMS tools are used to improve collaboration and interaction in online teaching. The objectives were to establish which LMS tools are used to aid in interactivity and collaboration, how these tools are used to scaffold the teaching and learning process and how different elements interact to complete the scaffolding process. This study used a qualitative methodology where two virtual focus groups consisting of faculty and students in online graduate courses were used to review the scaffolding process.  The findings were analyzed qualitatively and the results indicate that synchronous and asynchronous tools found in LMS and their plugins are used to scaffold collaboration and interaction. LMS tools were found to improve learning outcomes and to build a sense of community. The need for flexibility and the ability for LMS to be integrated with other tools and plugins was identified as crucial. The study established the need for both learners and faculty to be trained on the use of the tools was proposed as an additional requirement for the success of the scaffolding process. &nbsp

Use of focus groups in business ethics research: potential, problems and paths to progress

Focus groups are a well established qualitative research method in the social sciences that would seem to offer scope for a significant contribution to the advancement of knowledge and understanding in the field of business ethics. This paper explores their potential contribution, reviews their contribution to date and makes some recommendations regarding their future use. We find that, while the use of focus groups is not extensive, they have been utilised in a non-negligible number of studies. Focus groups are usually used a supplementary method, often as part of the development of a research instrument. Whether used on their own or in conjunction with other methods, we find that in the majority of cases there is insufficient information for a reader to judge that the method has been carried out well and hence that the ‘findings’ may be trusted. Nor is it easy for future researchers to learn about the practical application of the method in business ethics contexts. We therefore recommend improved reporting in future published studies. Based on an analysis of a sub-sample of papers that provided a reasonable level of methodological detail, we provide further insights into, and recommendations for, the use of focus groups in business ethics research

Green IS Management Framework Corroboration and Verification: Explicating the Enabling Capabilities of Green IS

The first objective of the paper is to demonstrate the quantitative corroboration of the Green Information Systems (Green IS) management framework, which comprises the enabling capabilities of Green IS, the moderating concepts, and their relationships to environmental sustainability. The second objective is to demonstrate the framework’s verification using the focus group method and member checking. The achievement of these objectives establishes that the framework successfully captured the essential Green IS concepts and interrelationships to be relevant for environmental sustainability, that it was credible, relevant, and an original contribution to the academic body of knowledge. The research was empirical, confirmatory, quantitative, and qualitative. The study provides research design insights by detailing research design choices and rationale. The framework presents verified and salient management focal points for environmental sustainability in the South African banking sector

Focus group discussions.

This chapter provides an overview of focus group discussions as a research method. Using illustrative examples, the chapter discusses the appropriateness of the technique for accounting research. The chapter then highlights both the strengths and drawbacks of the technique and provides guidance on how to mitigate the drawbacks. The chapter concludes with advice on the practical considerations for running focus group discussions and articulates the unique data analysis considerations of the technique

Conducting Online Focus Groups - Practical Advice for Information Systems Researchers

Video-based online focus groups (OFGs) present an emerging opportunity for Information Systems (IS) researchers to circumvent spatial and temporal constraints in collecting rich data. They enable researchers to overcome interpersonal and operational challenges arising from face-to-face (F2F) focus groups (FGs) by allowing participants, who are located anywhere in the world, to share their personal experiences from behind their screens. However, the realization of the full potential of OFGs for IS research is currently hampered by challenges and uncertainty over best practices when conducting such FGs. Consequently, we offer a detailed account of our own experiences with seven OFGs in the context of digital platforms. In supplementing our own experiences with those of others reported in extant literature on (online) FGs in and beyond the IS discipline, we (a) arrive at hurdles inherent to the OFG method, (b) derive lessons learned from our own experience with OFGs, and (c) prescribe actionable advice to researchers who are interested in conducting OFGs in the future

E-commerce and small and medium enterprises (SME) in least developed countries : the case of Tanzania

Includes abstract.Includes bibliographical references.The purpose of the study was to investigate the E-Commerce phenomena in Tanzania with the goal of understanding how E-Commerce is typically made sense of by Tanzanian SMEs and how the sense making is produced, sustained and affected by environmental and organisational conditions. Structuration theory was used as a theoretical lens from which the social construction of the E-Commerce phenomena could be understood. The study primarily adopted a subjective interpretive stance. A preliminary quantitative study using questionnaires and interviews was done to gain an initial understanding of the E-Commerce status quo in Tanzania. The main study was qualitative in nature and used interviews with 33 Tanzanian SMEs as the data collection method