The Collective Consciousness of Information Technology Research: Ways of seeing Information Technology Research: Its Objects and Territories

The collective consciousness of effective groups of researchers is characterised by shared understandings of their research object or territory. In the relatively new field of information technology research, rapid expansion and fragmentation of the territory has led to different perceptions about what constitutes information technology research. This project explores a facet of the collective consciousness of disparate groups of researchers and lays a foundation for constructing shared research objects. Making IT researchers’ ways of seeing explicit may help us understand some of the complexities associated with inter and intra disciplinary collaboration amongst research groups, and the complexities associated with technology transfer to industry. This report analyses IT research, its objects and territories, as they are constituted by IT researchers associated with the sub-disciplines of information systems, computer science and information security. A phenomenographic approach is used to elicit data from a diverse range of IT researchers in semistructured interviews. This data is analysed to show (1) the variation in meaning associated with the idea of IT research and (2) the awareness structures through which participants experience variation in ways of seeing the object and territories of IT research. An Outcome Space represents the interrelation between different ways of seeing the territory. Eight ways of seeing IT research, its objects and territories, were found: The Technology Conception, The Information Conception, The Information and Technology Conception, The Communication Conception, The Ubiquitous Conception, The Sanctioned Conception, The Dialectic Conception and The Constructed Conception. These are described in detail and illustrated with participants’ quotes. Finally, some recommendations for further research are made

The collective consciousness of Information Technology research: The significance and value of research projects. A. The views of IT researchers

This research seeks to reveal the different perceptual worlds in a research community, with the longterm intent of fostering increased understanding and hence collaboration. In the relatively new field of information technology (IT) research, available evidence suggests that a shared understanding of the research object or territory does not yet exist. This has led to the development of different perceptions amongst IT researchers of what constitutes significant and valuable research. A phenomenological approach is used to elicit data from a diverse range of IT researchers in semistructured interviews. This data is presented to show (1) the variation in meaning associated with the idea of significance and value and (2) the awareness structures through which participants experience significance and value. An Outcome Space represents the interrelation between those different ways of seeing, revealing a widening awareness. Five categories of ways of seeing the significance and value of research projects were found: The Personal Goals Conception, The Research Currency Conception, The Design of the Research Project Conception, The Outcomes for the Technology End User Conception and The Solving Real-World Problems Conception. These are situated within three wider perceptual boundaries: The Individual, The Research Community and Humankind. The categories are described in detail, demonstrated with participants’ quotes and illustrated with diagrams. A tentative comparison is made between this project and a similar investigation of IT professionals’ ways of seeing the significance and value of IT research projects. Finally, some recommendations for further research are made

The collective consciousness of Information Technology research: The significance and value of research projects. B. The views of IT industry professionals

This research seeks to reveal the different perceptual worlds in a research community, with the longterm intent of fostering increased understanding and hence collaboration. In the relatively new field of information technology (IT) research, available evidence suggests that a shared understanding of the research object or territory does not yet exist. This has led to the development of different perceptions amongst IT researchers of what constitutes significant and valuable research. Phenomenological methodology is used to elicit data from a diverse range of IT industry professionals in semi-structured interviews. This data is presented to show (1) the variation in meaning associated with the idea of significance and value and (2) the awareness structures through which participants experience significance and value. An Outcome Space represents the interrelation between those different ways of seeing, revealing a widening awareness. Five categories of ways of seeing the significance and value of research projects were found: The Personal Goals Conception, The Commercial Goals Conception, The Outcomes for the Technology End User Conception, The Solving Real-World Problems Conception and The Design of the Research Project Conception. These are situated within three wider perceptual boundaries: The Individual, The Enterprise and Society. The categories are described in detail, demonstrated with participants’ quotes and illustrated with diagrams. A tentative comparison is made between this project and a similar investigation of IT researchers’ ways of seeing the significance and value of IT research projects. Finally, some recommendations for further research are made

From Global Theories to Local Practice and Original Knowledge: Learning the Way through Systems Co-Design

Information focused, learning centered, and systems enabled, Informed Systems (Somerville, United States) guides collaborative design (co-design) of the University for Business and Technology Knowledge Center in Pristina, Kosovo. Conceptual modeling activities since April 2017 engage students in integrating Informed Learning theory (Bruce, Australia) and Soft Systems Methodology (Checkland, England) to progress a shared vision to make local knowledge visible through co-created systems, services, and resources. Foundational Informed Learning categories, information and communication technologies, information sources, and information and knowledge generation - to progress information curation and knowledge management – illustrate the transformative potential of this theory-to-practice initiative, customized to local priorities and values

IT professionals' experience of ethical decision-making and its implications for IT education

The rapidly changing information technology environment presents IT professionals with significant ethical decision-making challenges. This research will contribute to understanding how to best equip professionals to take ethical decisions in such a milieu. The research will supplement existing studies, which are predominantly quantitative, focussed on students and theory-based, by an investigation of practicing IT professionals' lived experience using the phenomenographic approach. Implications will be drawn for IT professional development

Librarians without borders

The establishment of libraries in developing countries presents its unique infrastructure, cultural, financial and training challenges... which stimulate inventive solutions. Many benefits, including skill refinement, deep engagement with culture and tourism, flow from the practice of such outward-looking professionalism. 'Librarians Without Borders, Australia' is proposed as a means of providing support for such ventures

IT professionals' experience of ethics and its implications for IT education: Confirmation of candidature

The rapidly changing information technology environment presents IT professionals with significant ethical challenges. The aim of this research is to contribute to our understanding of how to best equip professionals to practice ethics in such a milieu. The research will supplement existing studies, which are predominantly quantitative, focussed on students and theory-based, by investigating in detail practicing IT professionals’ lived experience using the phenomenographic approach. Phenomenography seeks to elicit variation in the experience of a group of people and present an interpretation of that experience in a way that makes their experience accessible both to them and others. Rather than focussing on the person or on the object of their experience, phenomenography concentrates on the relationship between the person and the object. The result is a model of that experience from the participants' point of view. During this project IT professionals will be interviewed who are representative of a breadth of experience, age, gender, race, educational background and IT subdiscipline. The analysis of these interviews will represent the variety of experiences described by the participants as a group in terms of their distinctive meanings and limits, and their relationships with each other. The professional experience will be compared with the IT ethics literature to discern how each informs the other. The educational Variation Theory will be employed to help identify educationally significant aspects of this study, for application in IT professionals' continuing education. It is anticipated that the outcome will be insights useful for all levels of IT ethical formation

Levels of awareness of professional ethics used as a sensitizing method in project-based learning

There is a need for educational frameworks for computer ethics education. This discussion paper presents an approach to developing students’ moral sensitivity, an awareness of morally relevant issues, in project-based learning (PjBL). The proposed approach is based on a study of IT professionals’ levels of awareness of ethics. These levels are labelled My world, The corporate world, A shared world, The client’s world and The wider world. We give recommendations for how instructors may stimulate students’ thinking with the levels and how the levels may be taken into account in managing a project course and in an IS department. Limitations of the recommendations are assessed and issues for discussion are raised

Resource for supervisors

No abstract available

Cases from the technology disciplines

This document is a collection of ‘cases’ adapted from interviews with supervisors of higher degree research students from the technology disciplines. The supervisors come from a wide range of sub disciplines and represent many levels of experience. We follow in this document Hammond and Ryland’s (2009)2 suggested ranking of supervision experience: No completions – No experience or new supervisors, with no doctoral completions as principal supervisor Experienced – 1 to 5 doctoral completions as principal supervisor Very experienced – over 6 doctoral completions as principal supervisor The cases focus attention on thinking about supervision as a teaching and learning practice; a dimension of higher degree research supervision that is increasingly being recognized as important. They are offered as prompts for individuals and groups of supervisors in thinking about their supervision as a teaching and learning practice