Data Rich and Data Poor Scholarship: Where Does IS Research Stand?

So far, the discourse around the nature of the IS discipline has focused on the centrality of theory in defining and legitimating the field. In contrast, we re -position this debate and focus on the centrality of data. Specifically, in this panel we discuss how sy stematic approaches to data sharing practices, improved data collection instrumentation as well as increased access to (and use s of) large institutionally managed corpora of data can play a critical role in the evolution and shaping of IS as a scholarly fi eld of study. Subsequently, we explore the current position and status of data in IS research , and ask : how does it affect the prevailing research practices and the legitimacy of the field? And how, if at all, we should address the situation? We submit tha t the IS discipline as a whole has been a data poor field with inadequate data preservation and reuse practices, and with relatively less advanced data collection instrumentation. Overall, we argue that the practices of producing, maintaining and using dat a assets in data poor fields as the IS discipline result in economic deficiency, research ineffectiveness, and missed opportunities. Furthermore, we aim to highlight some emerging data enrichment opportunities and encourage more IS researchers to think abo ut data enrichment in the prevailing programs of research around data . The IS research community’s current lack of attention towards developing of large scale cumulative data on IT -related subject matters begs the question: can we afford staying a data poo r field?