This paper dissects the research methodologies implemented by the Research Team for the Smart Contracts Working Group (TC-307/IT-041 Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technologies) in developing standards to inform best practice in the design and use of blockchain and distributed ledger technologies. In doing so, it explores the origins of blockchain standardisation and outlines the high-level methodology for conducting and delivering research in this rapidly evolving space.Using three case studies, this paper shows how different tasks give rise to, and benefit from, specialised methodologies. These case studies also highlight a number of challenges and opportunities, and demonstrate how a flexible research approach can increase efficiency and generate findings that are likely to influence blockchain standardisation at a global level.Case Study 1 describes our research into the legal status of smart contracts and the challenge of delivering clear findings about unclear subject matter. Case Study 2, which involved examining the sufficiency of existing regulatory frameworks in the supply chain and trade facilitation context, illustrates how rigid formatting specifications can impact the content of findings. In contrast, Case Study 3 concerns a project to incorporate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into new and existing Standards and shows how researchers' knowledge can be harnessed as a valuable source of information in its own right.Finally, this paper extrapolates practical lessons for researchers who are interested in developing standards for emerging technologies, or simply undertaking much needed research into this area.

Technology has deeply impacted the practice of shipping in the maritime industry worldwide, this explains the way and manner big organizations have engaged modern technology like Cloud-based Enterprise Resources Planning, to manage the key parts of their businesses. Recent research and practices have shown that cloud-based ERP systems if implemented correctly could be a great beneficial advantage to the logistics and supply chain process of a large organization. Unfortunately, the implementation has been slow in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA). Reports have shown that there is a need to re-engineer linkages between service systems within the growing organizations. From the perspective of an enterprise like NIMASA, only limited research has been conducted that has played an important role in intimating the organization towards the adoption of a cloud-based ERP system as well as the post-implementation measures. Most recent studies have been conducted only in the context of generic information system adoption. Information system research is not strong enough without considering the articulating system speed and performance of CERP. This study investigates the critical factors influencing the adoption of Cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (CERP) in the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency with a focus on Maritime logistics and supply chain. A structured based questionnaire was administered to 130 senior maritime workers in the Nigerian Maritime industry to extract factors that hinder the adoption of information systems like cloud-based ERP. The quantitative data were analyzed based on the impact ranking to inform a proposed implementation model for a Cloud-based ERP in the organization. The research also highlights some important Critical Success Factors like technology-related factors, funding for technology innovation (Economic and financial factors), Policy related barriers, and how they influence development in the Maritime industry.

This chapter investigates how those in working in law and technology can and should work together to develop superior legal technologies, particularly in the context of legally binding smart contracts. It looks at contemporary models of interdisciplinary collaboration—including global consortia and strategic partnerships between law firms and technology companies—and considers how existing strategies to build legal technology could be applied to the challenge of developing distributed ledger solutions such as smart legal contracts. Working in tandem, lawyers and developers can build, deploy and scale smart legal contracts more efficiently; leveraging their expertise to break new ground, without diluting their core competencies. This approach will enhance the way lawyers work and democratize access to their services, while improving return on technology investment. By contrast, working in silos, these stakeholders risk misunderstanding part of the problem they are trying to solve. This chapter concludes by considering how lawyers can further stimulate the uptake of smart legal contracts by applying their skill-set to the development and adoption of international standards that are crucial for the sustainable growth and quality management of emerging legal technologies.