The struggle towards an understanding of theory in information systems

Information systems (IS) is a relatively new discipline with many researchers having their foundation studies in other disciplines. The IS discipline is moving towards some sense of its own identity and some agreement on what constitutes suitable foci of research. Coming from other fields of study, however, our researchers bring perspectives on particular modes of enquiry and methodological paradigms as well as perspectives on what is meant by ‘theory’. The argument of this paper is that IS needs to critically examine the types of theorising relevant to its own discipline and recognise the unique nature of the theory that is needed. Perspectives found useful come from the philosophy of science (excluding positivism), interpretivism and Herbert Simon’s depiction of the sciences of the artificial. It is shown how these perspectives can be melded, leading to a typology of interrelated theories that is unique to information systems.