[AISWorld] CFP: Practice-based IS Research Mini-track – HICSS 57, Oahu

[William J Kettinger]

CFP: Practice-based IS Research Mini-track – HICSS 57, Oahu

Description

This mini-track encourages practice-based research on new and emerging IS issues in organizations. Practice-based research aspires to bridge the gap between academic theory and practice; it aspires both to introduce researchers to state-of-the-art practices and issues from industry and introduce managers to research that makes sense of and brings coherence to the issues they face. The methods used in practice-based research are often exploratory, field-based studies involving interviews and observations. The pressure to achieve methodological distinction and theoretical contribution often results in very current practice-based topics being eschewed by researchers because the topics themselves are not mature enough to attain desirable samples or sample sizes, nor are they conducive to theorizing since so little is known. Exploratory, practice-based research plays a critical role in helping establish and lay the foundations of a research domain while providing insights into an emerging topic.
This mini-track aims to encourage practice-based research in information systems and to disseminate the research results in a manner that makes its relevance and utility readily apparent.  This mini-track invites authors to submit research that provides rich stories, unique insights, and useful conceptual frameworks for information systems practice. Papers might be based upon single cases, multiple cases, field interviews, or, less commonly, literature itself.  Experimental, econometric, and survey research are less likely to achieve the goal of providing rich insight for practice.  The submissions to this mini-track are not expected to make distinct or novel theoretical contributions.  Instead, the contributions should focus on discrete recommendations and unique lessons learned for practice.  The mini-track chairs coordinate with MIS Quarterly Executive in selecting papers for fast-tracking to an issue of MISQE.
Overall, this mini-track aims to:

  *   Showcase high-quality practice-oriented IS research
  *   Promote practice-oriented IS research as a critical source of insight and guidance for digital leaders
  *   Provide researchers a platform to present and discuss their practice-oriented IS research findings and expose the community to current challenges in creating value with IT
  *   Help identify the most challenging managerial issues for digital/IT leaders and frame them as new questions that could guide future practice-oriented IS research.
Dates:

  *   June 15 | 11:59 pm HST: Paper submission deadline
  *   August 17 | 11:59 pm HST: Initial Notification of Acceptance/Rejection
  *   September 4 | 11:59 pm HST: Deadline for authors to submit the revised version of papers accepted with mandatory changes (A-M)
  *   September 11: Final Notification of Acceptance/Rejection
  *   September 22: Deadline for authors to submit the final manuscript for publication
  *   October 1: Deadline for at least one author of each paper to register for the conference
Additional guidance for authors of practice-based IS research papers
This practice track has run for many years at HICSS and has produced track best paper award winners on numerous occasions. We are not just seeking research with strong relevance for practitioners but manuscripts written in a way that makes them easily accessible to enlightened practitioner readers. This means that any accepted manuscript will not follow the traditional “rules” of writing for an academic audience.
If you are not a regular reader of MISQE articles, we advise you to read a few to understand their style, structure, focus, and content. Some general guidelines for writing such articles include:

  *   Simplify reality, but don’t be simplistic
  *   Keep theory and methodology in the background (perhaps add your methods in an appendix, but write it so that it is accessible to non-academic readers).
  *   Use literature and in-depth evidence to give credibility and generalizability.
Typically, such articles loosely follow this structure:
Short lead-in
Motivate the practitioner reader in 2-3 sentences. Why should they read the article? What you write should resonate closely with them; perhaps it is a problem that they recognize that you will now help them solve.
Short introduction to the topic
Frame the topic of the article. Use footnotes rather than the traditional academic referencing style when using prior research.
Extensive research findings
Use headings and figures/tables to communicate findings. Address solutions to managerial challenges. Present lessons learned from the research and recommendations.
Actionable guidelines
Actionable guidelines include action verbs, not passive verbs like “understand,” “assess, “think,” or “get commitment.”  Tell the reader what to actually do, or what to change.  For example, if getting commitment is important, say how to get the required level of commitment.
Appendix
Present an overview of research methods. Remember to write in a way accessible to an academic audience unfamiliar with the nuances of academic research.
Minitrack CoChairs:
Bill Kettinger
Clemson University
Gabe Piccoli
Louisiana State University
Michael Milovich
Rowan University

Joaquin Rodriguez
Grenoble Ecole de Management