Qualitative Research And IT: A Personal View

Abstract:

Qualitative research is now well accepted in the field of Information Systems (IS). Almost all major IS journals have senior or associate editors with expertise in qualitative research methods. In this paper I begin by describing my own career as a qualitative researcher. I started out doing ethnography in social anthropology, but now use ethnography (and other qualitative methods) in IS. Following this personal narrative I provide a brief history of the field of Information Systems, focusing specifically on the progress that has been made in the use of qualitative research. In the final section I discuss some of the lessons that I have learned along the way. This includes some discussion of the value of qualitative data analysis software, and the challenges of writing up qualitative research work for academic peer-reviewed journals.

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Keynote speech