[AISWorld] IS Research Rankings Site Updated

[Manuel Mora T.]

Dear colleagues in IT discipline:
In other IT related disciplines (Computer Sciences, Artificial
Intelligence, Software Engineering, and actually Management Science / OR),
the most recognized academics are those that have introduced a core
innovation (construct, theory, model, or system) which is usually used
during a long time (1 or several decades). Examples: Lofti Zadeh (fuzzy
logic mechanisms), E-R Model (Peter Chen),  Core Competences (Gary Hamel
and CK Prahalad), Soft Systems (Peter Checkland), MIS concept (Gordon
Davis), IT Development Stages (Michael Gibson and Richard Nolan), EIS and
CSFs (John  Rockart), GDSS (Paul Gray, George Huber), 5-force model
(Michael Porter), BSC (David Norton and Robert Kaplan), Ethernet protocol
(Robert Metcalfe), among dozens of contributions. It is very likely that
they published few papers in top journals but they contributions have
shaped such disciplines (of course, your papers are largely cited). On it,
the research rankings, do really reveal the critical contributions to
advance our IT discipline or have we fostered an academic bureaucratic
context? People in other disciplines are surprised that MIS Quarterly has
an impact factor over 5.0 points, which is not natural in other
disciplines. MIS Quarterly can be #1 but in all surveys the people usually
ranks it by default! Are we really free academics or we have to follow the
modern research IT rules (not from the 70-80s according to my estimation
of type of research papers published in similar 6 journals). In summary,
how many core contributions published in the 6 suggested journals have
shaped in the last 10 years the IT discipline with critical research
discoveries or inventions? Interesting topics like virtualization, green
IT, ITSM, etc, while are investigated in IT discipline are not created
(published the like original initial ideas) in our journals! We are not so
creative as other Computing and Managerial disciplines are. Finally, how
many patents are linked to our IT discipline from our IT academic
community? Do we need a re-invention of our discipline? I believe does it,
but IT leaders trained with other approach are required. Thanks,
Manuel Mora, EngD.
PS. I believe we have lost the historical memory of IT leaders that have
shaped our IT discipline, and that deserve a special ranking of IT
Academics. The IT research rankings measures other dimensions but not
the overall impact and contribution to our IT discipline.


----------------------------------------------
Manuel Mora, EngD.
Full Professor and Researcher "C" Level
Autonomous University of Aguascalientes
Ave. Universidad 940
Aguascalientes, Ags.
México 20100
www.uaa.mx
----------------------------------------------