A Set of Principles for Conducting and Evaluating Interpretive Field Studies in Information Systems1
Abstract
This article discusses the conduct and evaluation of interpretive research in information systems. While the conventions for evaluating information systems case studies conducted according to the natural science model of social science are now widely accepted, this is not the case for interpretive field studies. A set of principles for the conduct and evaluation of interpretive field research in information systems is proposed, along with their philosophical rationale. The usefulness of the principles is illustrated by evaluating three published interpretive field studies drawn from the IS research literature. The intention of the paper is to further reflection and debate on the important subject of grounding interpretive research methodology.
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Triangulating multiple sources allowed the researchers to examine chatbots in use from different sides and in different embedded contexts.
“This allowed us to examine chatbots in use from different sides and in different embedded contexts (Klein and Myers 1999;Orlikowski and Iacono 2001).”
From How affordances of chatbots cross the chasm between social and traditional enterprise systems (2020) · cites this paper as Klein and Myers 1999
Data were collected and analyzed iteratively until a coherent picture emerged.
“To proceed in a rigorous way, we have collected and analyzed data iteratively until a coherent picture emerged (Corbin and Strauss 1990;Klein and Myers 1999).”
From How affordances of chatbots cross the chasm between social and traditional enterprise systems (2020) · cites this paper as Klein and Myers 1999
In this work the authors adopted the interpretive position that trades off notions of sampling, significance and generalizability in favor of depth of enquiry, contextualization, abstraction, dialogue and critical reflection.
“Rather, in this work we adopted the interpretive position that trades off notions of sampling, significance and generalizability in favor of depth of enquiry, contextualization, abstraction, dialogue and critical reflection [30,60,70].”
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- Authors
- Klein, H. K., & Myers, M. D.
- Affiliations
- Binghamton University (US)
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- ORCID
- Myers, Michael D.
- Venue
- MIS Quarterly
- Publisher
- MIS Quarterly
- Published
- 1999-03-01
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 67-93
- ISSN
- 0276-7783 (ISSN-L)
- 2162-9730
- OpenAlex
- W2148277253
- Cited by
- 5,263
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 131 · 2025: 109 · 2024: 158 · 2023: 154 · 2022: 185 · 2021: 191 · 2020: 200 · 2019: 191 · 2018: 205 · 2017: 199 · 2016: 236 · 2015: 272 · 2014: 332 · 2013: 306 · 2012: 319
- FWCI
- 230.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- MIS Quarterly (publishedVersion)
- Journal of the Association for Information Systems (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Information Systems Theories and Implementation
- Social Sciences › Education › Qualitative Research Methods and Applications
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › Information Systems and Management › Business and Management Studies
- Keywords
- research evaluation, research principles, natural science model, philosophy of social science
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