Philosophical paradigms in information technology research

Abstract

Having been in existence for nearly 30 years, information technology has revolutionized how human beings carry out their day-to-day life. Its use and adoption have brought about many philosophical issues that need to be reviewed. There are ethical issues concerned with the use of information technology ranging from fake news, autonomous systems, biasedness in AI systems and data privacy among others. As research is being carried out to answer some of these concerns, it will be important to look at the core building blocks of a paradigm and some of the research paradigms that can be used in this field. This paper introduces the field of information technology, where its definition and notable contributions are highlighted. Then it goes on to do a review of existing research paradigms with an emphasis on key components of a research paradigm and the types of research paradigms. Lastly, the paper reviews philosophical issues that exist within information technology with an emphasis on ethical issues. With an understanding of this, it will be easier for researchers in this field to choose a paradigm within the area of information technology that best suits their research.