Is North American IS research different from European IS research?

Diversity, whether in terms of research methodologies or reference disciplines, enriches and benefits a field of research. If, on the other hand, this diversity inhibits the sharing of research and knowledge between communities with different intellectual heritages, loss of synergy and research opportunities for both communities may result. This study identifies similarities and differences between North American and European research in terms of theoretical bases and research methodologies by analyzing doctoral dissertation research. Results show that European MIS research is predominantly qualitative and non-empirical conceptual whereas North American MIS research is predominantly quantitative and empirical. Furthermore, research in Europe is influenced considerably by computer science and artificial intelligence whereas research in North America has more behavioral and managerial roots. A comparison across a five-year period shows that this gap is narrowing.

[1]  W. Bechtel.  Philosophy of Science : An Overview for Cognitive Science , 1988 .

[2]  Reginald Wilson.  About the Authors , 2018, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management.

[3]  Richard L. Van Horn,et al.  Empirical studies of management information systems , 1973, DATB.

[4]  Guy Fitzgerald,et al.  Research methods in information systems , 1985 .

[5]  T. Kuhn.  The Structure of Scientific Revolutions 2nd edition , 1970 .

[6]  Frank F. Land,et al.  Viewpoint: choosing appropriate information systems research methodologies , 1987, CACM.

[7]  Douglas R. Vogel,et al.  MIS research: a profile of leading journals and universities , 1984, DATB.

[8]  Allen S. Lee.  Integrating Positivist and Interpretive Approaches to Organizational Research , 1991 .

[9]  Suzanne Rivard,et al.  An Information Systems Keyword Classification Scheme , 1988, MIS Q..

[10]  Bruce C. Straits,et al.  Approaches to social research , 1993 .

[11]  Gordon B. Davis,et al.  Supply/demand of IS doctorates in the 1990s , 1991, CACM.

[12]  Jung P. Shim,et al.  An examination of articles in the eight leading management information systems journals: 1980–1988 , 1991 .

[13]  Jay L. Devore,et al.  Probability and statistics for engineering and the sciences , 1982 .

[14]  Suzanne Rivard,et al.  A Keyword Classification Scheme for IS Research Literature: An Update , 1993 .

[15]  Bill C. Hardgrave,et al.  Forums for management information systems scholars , 1995, CACM.

[16]  A. Schutz.  Concept and Theory Formation in the Social Sciences , 1954 .