Overcoming theory-practice inconsistencies: Critical realism and information systems research

Smith, Matthew L.

doi:10.1016/j.infoandorg.2005.10.003

Cited by 134 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…Actual research practice and pedagogy provide recipes for ensuring validity, which move beyond that framework and include many of the insights that we find follow from a critical realist perspective (Mingers 2000;Smith 2006). Our point is that these extensions lack an adequate philosophical foundation as long as empiricism continues to be the framework used for their exposition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Information Systems Foundations Part Three : The Role of Design Science

Gregor¹,

Hart²

2010

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Information Systems Foundations Part Three : The Role of Design Science

Gregor¹,

Hart²

2010

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“…@ In general terms, we could classify the CR works in IS into three groups. The first are the calls to the IS research community to realize the underlaborer value of CR in IS research (e.g., Carlsson 2004;Dobson 2001;Mingers 2004;Mutch 2002;Smith 2006). Most of these works have been conceptual discussions on how CR can overcome the inconsistencies of the positivist, interpretivist, and postmodernist research practices.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Systems of Innovation, Multidisciplinarity, and Methodological Pluralism: A Realist Approach to Guide the Future of Information Systems Research and Practice

Vega¹,

Brown²

2011

IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology

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Abstract. Information systems (IS) are complex phenomena. For instance, the diffusion of IS in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) depends on various levels of networked, localized, and changing determinants, such as the ones related to the adopter organizations, decision makers, technologies, complementary innovations, business partners, professional groups, universities, and government policies. This complex view of IS implies the use of different disciplines and methodologies to study the diffusion process. The objective of this empirical research is to demonstrate how the systems of innovation approach (SIA), for addressing the institutional and evolutionary determinants of diffusion, and the philosophical stance of critical realism (CR), for guiding the research process, are compatible and meet the multidisciplinarity and methodological pluralism required to move on the field of complex IS and recommend meaningful actions to practice. To exemplify our arguments, we focus the study on one relevant determinant that affects the diffusion of IS in SMEs, namely government programs.

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“…Critical realism is undergoing a renaissance in IS and allied fields due in part to the authority this approach establishes in the reconciliation between social theory and research practice (Carter, 2000;Smith, 2006). Specifically, its ability to supersede some of the more enduring social science dualisms for example positivism vs.…”

Section: Theoretical Orientationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…interpretivism, and structure vs. agency (Smith, 2006). However, extant literature suggests that ontologically it is still a work in progress and thus open to oversimplification in mixed method research (Lipscomb, 2011).…”

Section: Theoretical Orientationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this respect, several advocates of DSR suggest pragmatism Critical realism is undergoing a renaissance in IS and allied fields due in part to the authority this approach establishes in the reconciliation between social theory and research practice (Carter, 2000;Smith, 2006). Specifically, its ability to supersede some of the more enduring social science dualisms for example positivism vs.interpretivism, and structure vs. agency (Smith, 2006). However, extant literature suggests that ontologically it is still a work in progress and thus open to oversimplification in mixed method research (Lipscomb, 2011).…”

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confidence: 99%

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eHealth-as-a-Service: A Service Based Design Approach for Large Scale eHealth Architecture

Black¹

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A significant challenge for the design of large scale (national) eHealth systems is the fluid nature of the Patient Journey, particularly in primary healthcare modalities.In this context, a patient's journey is predisposed to organic growth rather than intelligent design. As a result, clinical tasks requiring access to high quality information may occur as a function of known healthcare patterns or as a response to a patient's state of health. Whilst Australia's national eHealth system provides the infrastructure to accommodate the self-organizing flexibility and dynamism characteristic of complex information-based ecosystems, the system neglects certain information quality attributes. Specifically, accuracy, timeliness and completeness, which may lead to improved coordination of patient care. Based on the premise that the quality of patient information plays a significant role in the performance of health professionals, consideration must be given to these information quality dimensions as an overarching goal for eHealth architectural design activities. Framed as a problem concerning the design of large scale eHealth architecture that improves the quality of health information, this perspective presents a timely research opportunity.Within a prescriptive design science research (DSR) framework, this thesis is an example of a multi-methodological approach to create and evaluate a purposeful eHealth-as-a-Service (eHaaS) design artifact, which will improve patient information quality. This was achieved by firstly, deriving abstract meta-requirements from an ethnographic examination of care pathways to establish the technical goals of the solution space. Secondly, defining the functions, organization, and structure of an eHaaS conceptual model as an example of how service-based architectures might deliver high quality information services. Finally, by establishing the validity of the conceptual model with the development of a novel evaluation strategy to explain the predicted change produced by an eHaaS design artifact.Several original contributions emerged from the research. First and foremost, the developed eHaaS conceptual model, which encapsulates a set of design principles, service-based architectural patterns and implementation strategies represents a new class of eHealth solution. One that embodies a shift away from data-centric monolithic eHealth-as-a-Service: A Service-Based Design Approach for Large Scale eHealth Architecture iii architecture to process oriented, event-driven application services. To demonstrate the benefits of this shift, an electronic patient information system (ePIMS) was developed as an original solution for orchestrating clinical information services as personalised patient workflows. Another significant contribution of this thesis is a novel evaluation strategy for validating the utility of large scale eHealth systems at the design stage. It is innovative in its use of business process and data modelling techniques (e.g. data flow diagrams, business process modelling notatio...

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Overcoming theory-practice inconsistencies: Critical realism and information systems research

Cited by 134 publications

References 68 publications

Information Systems Foundations Part Three : The Role of Design Science

Information Systems Foundations Part Three : The Role of Design Science

Systems of Innovation, Multidisciplinarity, and Methodological Pluralism: A Realist Approach to Guide the Future of Information Systems Research and Practice

eHealth-as-a-Service: A Service Based Design Approach for Large Scale eHealth Architecture

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