Advances in Digital Technology Research Seminar - 2 ECTS
Aims
This introductory course highlights a selection of contemporary central topics in information systems and digital technology management research. It is designed to familiarize doctoral students with the main research streams and contributing scholars in IS research, introduce common research approaches, and provide a safe environment for stepping into lifelong research endeavors. In addition to reviewing a rich subset of the IS research literature, the course seeks to prepare the foundations that will assist the participants in developing and writing their theses. Each annual round of the course covers a new selection of topics that are prevalent in the IS research discourse.
Learning Objectives
At the end of the course, students should be able to:
- Identify and discuss the main research streams in IS research
- Identify the key scholars in IS research and discuss their contributions to the body of knowledge
- Identify and discuss key disciplinary controversies and debates
- Discuss the development of the IS research discipline and its community of scholars
- Apply IS research theory to own thesis project
- Position own thesis project in the context of the IS body of knowledge
Structure and Format
The course surveys a broad literature base to provide students with a grasp of the main issues in the IS discipline while developing a deeper understanding of its development and conceptual turns. The course emphasizes breadth and is geared toward the socio-technical aspects of information technologies in an organizational context. Specifically, participants will have an opportunity to examine the main strands of IS research and their interrelationships in the overall context of the discipline and management studies.
The course is designed as a sequence of 6 distinct three-hour meetings, each covering a central topic in information systems research. The meetings are designed in a research seminar format that includes guided discussions, mini-workshops, and teacher and student class presentations. In addition to a critical and appreciative review of existing work, the seminar emphasizes constructive discussion aimed at helping students design state-of-the-art research that builds on and extends the current body of knowledge.
