Over the past decade, there has been increasing interest in the use of grounded theory in information systems research. Grounded theory is a qualitative research method that seeks to develop theory that is grounded in data systematically gathered and analysed. The purpose of this paper is to suggest guidelines for grounded theory studies in information systems. Our guidelines are based on a framework for theorizing in grounded theory studies that focuses on conceptualization and theory scope. Our hope is that the guidelines will help to raise the quality and aspirations of grounded theory studies in information systems.

Mobile services available on mobile devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants are a suitable instrument for spontaneous, ad hoc access to information travelers need while being on the move. The supply of mobile services with specific relevance to the traveler is already well developed. Mobile services allow to book last-minute trips, rental cars, and hotels; they provide information about changes and delays of flights and trains, and offer guides on restaurants, events, and sightseeing opportunities at the destination. This article shows that integrating location-based services (LBS) creates additional value for most of theses products or services. LBS are applications of mobile technology that utilize the information about the location of their user. The four primary functions of LBS for the traveler are: (1) localization of persons, objects, and places, (2) routing between them, (3) search for objects in proximity such as restaurants, shops, hotels, or sights, and (4) information about traveling conditions, such as traffic-related data. Location-based services Mobile technology applications Mobile computing Tourism services technology is widely acknowledged (Werthner, 2000). Mobile information and communication technologies (ICT) play a special role because they allow a number of new services that the traveler can use while on the move (Schmidt-Belz et al., 2002). A specific class of these services are location-based services (LBS), which use the information on the user's current location (Francica, 2002; Zipf, 2002). The content of the service or application is then customized to the specific location. This uses the spatial dimension of the mobility factor.

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