Combining IS Research Methods: Towards a Pluralist Methodology

Abstract

T his paper puts forward arguments in favor of a pluralist approach to IS research. Rather than advocating a single paradigm, be it interpretive or positivist, or even a plurality of paradigms within the discipline as a whole, it suggests that research results will be richer and more reliable if different research methods, preferably from different (existing) paradigms, are routinely combined together. The paper is organized into three sections after the Introduction. In §2, the main arguments for the desirability of multimethod research are put forward, while §3 discusses its feasibility in theory and practice. §4 outlines two frameworks that are helpful in designing mixed-method research studies. These are illustrated with a critical evaluation of three examples of empirical research.

How and Why Do IT Entrepreneurs Leave Their Salaried Employment to Start a SME? A Mixed Methods Research Design

“…Moreover, Petter and Gallivan [37] found that this combination is frequently used in IS studies involving MMR. Finally, the use of MMR responds to several calls to go beyond the dominance of positivist, quantitative research, [37], [51].…”

“…funds, researchers, web designers) is necessary. Finally, following Mingers, we are conscious of the limitations of the MMR, regarding philosophical, cultural, psychological and practical feasibility [51], however, despite the large amount of required resources, we are confident, based on the currently on-going data collection and data analysis, that those limitations are not insurmountable. Even though this paper contributes to the literature by providing two frameworks, one to analyse IT entrepreneur's turnover and the other to conduct a mixed methods research combining exploratory and triangulation design, future research will seek to apply and test those frameworks and generate interesting findings.…”

Tourists’ Satisfaction on the Use of Biometrics Technology: A Conceptual Framework

“…According to Kaplan and Duchon [45] and Mingers [46], [47], there is limited research that has employed methodological pluralism in the IS literature. Venkatesh et al, [48] mentioned that the use of mixed method approach (ie.…”

Software Process Improvement in Inter-departmental Development of Software-Intensive Automotive Systems – A Case Study

“…Combining these two data sources provided a broader set of data from a larger sample size, which increases the analysis possibilities, especially in relation to be able to do statistical tests (e.g., [32,33]). Using two methods for measuring the priorities and identifying dependencies also alleviated the risk for measurement bias as data can be analyzed across methods [34]. A major challenge in the creation of the survey and workshop instruments (selfcompletion questionnaires) was the choice of prioritization techniques.…”