[AISWorld] JAIS Volume 13, Issue 4 (April) Special Issue History of the IS Discipline

[Gregor, Shirley]

The April edition of JAIS contains the first set of articles and the editorial for the Special Issue on the History of the IS Discipline, with Guest Editors Rudy Hirschheim, Carol Saunders, and Detmar Straub.

The April issue also contains a “prequel” article (in that it was submitted before the Special Issue was envisaged) by Rudy Hirschheim and Heinz Klein “A Glorious and Not-So-Short History of the Information Systems Field”. 

The remaining articles for this Special Issue will appear in the May edition. 

JAIS is also pleased to announce a new category for articles - “Dialogue”.
This category is for responses and commentary on articles published in JAIS, see:
http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/authorinfo.html

The Guest Editors for the current special issue are particularly keen to encourage Dialogue articles addressing articles in the special issue. 


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Contents of Volume 13, Issue 4 (April)
Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS) Official Publication of the Association for Information Systems

Published: Monthly Electronically
ISSN: 1536-9323
Published by the Association for Information Systems, Atlanta, USA http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/

Editor-in-Chief: Professor Shirley Gregor, the Australian National University, Australia

EDITORIAL
Historical Interpretations of the IS Discipline: An Introduction to the Special Issue By Rudy Hirschheim, Carol Saunders, and Detmar Straub

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below:
http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol13/iss4/4/


PAPER ONE
A Glorious and Not-So-Short History of the Information Systems Field By Rudy Hirschheim and Heinz Klein

Abstract
In this paper, the more than 40-year history of the information systems discipline is discussed by dividing history into four somewhat overlapping eras. For each era, important events that occurred are highlighted. The events are categorized as "management/governance of the IS function", "technology", "research themes", "research methodology", "education", and "infrastructure" (organizations, conferences, journals, etc.). The paper then speculates on what the value would be if the IS community were to adopt a shared history. The paper contends that such a shared history would be effective in helping to bridge the communication gaps that exist between the different sub-communities that make up the discipline.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below:
http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol13/iss4/5/


PAPER TWO
Business and Information Systems Engineering: A Complementary Approach to Information Systems - What We Can Learn from the Past and May Conclude from Present Reflection on the Future By Hans Ulrich Buhl, Günter Müller, Gilbert Fridgen, and Maximilian Röglinger

Abstract
Although both communities share a common object of research, the Business and Information Systems Engineering (BISE) community from the German-speaking countries and the North American Information Systems (NAIS) community have developed quite differently. In our opinion, each community has the opportunity to learn from the other's strengths to mitigate its own weaknesses. The BISE community promotes connections with industry and draws substantial funding from there. BISE researchers' topics are attractive to students and ensure the practical relevance of publications. Due to various reasons, numerous BISE researchers struggle with strong contributions to theory, research quality, and publications in top-ranked journals. While this obviously is a strength of the NAIS community, we observe that the NAIS community struggles with its industry connections and enrollment numbers. What the global IS/BISE community needs is a more intense discourse that increases mutual understanding, creates awareness for the need to complement one another, and ensures that this opportunity is seized. Organized along the history of the BISE community's main publication outlet, this paper offers insights into the community's ability to fully engage with industry and how this ability was maintained over time. Based thereon, we as BISE insiders would like to give recommendations on how the NAIS community can mitigate some of its weaknesses. These recommendations are intended to complement the valuable hints already provided by NAIS scholars. They also intend to make insights into the traditional strength of the BISE community available when discussing the global IS/BISE community's future.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below:
http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol13/iss4/3/


PAPER THREE
The Information Systems Field: Making a Case for Maturity and Contribution By Varun Grover

Abstract
In this paper, I explore the question of whether the field is progressing well. In doing so, I base my opinion on anchors from four independent studies that I have conducted over the years. These studies treat the field in different ways: as an aggregator of terms, a complex adaptive system, part of a knowledge market, and an evolving biological system. The four perspectives offer different ways of framing the question of progress. I describe these perspectives and make the case based on the conclusions formed from logic and data that the field has indeed progressed splendidly. I argue that the field is maturing and making a contribution, and we should be proud of what we have accomplished. However, through each perspective, I also identify some vicious circles to avoid if we are to continue to progress. The portrait is one of optimism and hope, along with the need for sound stewardship going forward.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below:
http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol13/iss4/2/


PAPER FOUR
Cognition Matters: Enduring Questions in Cognitive IS Research By Michael Davern, Teresa Shaft, and Dov Te'eni

Abstract
We explore the history of cognitive research in information systems (IS) across three major research streams in which cognitive processes are of paramount importance: developing software, decision support, and human-computer interaction. Through our historical analysis, we identify "enduring questions" in each area. The enduring questions motivated long-standing areas of inquiry within a particular research stream. These questions, while perhaps unapparent to the authors cited, become evident when one adopts an historical perspective. While research in all three areas was influenced by changes in technologies, research techniques, and the contexts of use, these enduring questions remain fundamental to our understanding of how to develop, reason with, and interact with IS. In synthesizing common themes across the three streams, we draw out four cognitive qualities of information technology: interactivity, fit, cooperativity, and affordances. Together these cognitive qualities reflect IT's ability to influence cognitive processes and ultimately task performance. Extrapolating from our historical analysis and looking at the operation of these cognitive qualities in concert, we envisage a bright future for cognitive research in IS: a future in which the study of cognition in IS extends beyond the individual to consider cognition distributed across teams, communities and systems, and a future involving the study of rich and dynamic social and organizational contexts in which the interplay between cognition, emotion, and attitudes provides a deeper explanation of behavior with IS.

To obtain a copy of the entire article, click on the link below:
http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol13/iss4/1/




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