The Information Systems Academic Discipline in Australia

The Information Systems Academic Discipline in Australia......Page 1
Table of Contents......Page 5
Foreword......Page 7
Contributors......Page 11
The context......Page 29
Introduction......Page 31
Features of the second phase......Page 32
The ‘parent’ IS in Pacific-Asia study (IS-in-PA) design......Page 33
The phase one Australian study (IS-in-Oz) design......Page 34
Study questions in phase one of the IS-in-Oz study......Page 36
Past studies of the IS discipline......Page 37
Overview......Page 38
Extending the phase-one study......Page 39
The protocol......Page 40
Review of draft state reports by interviewees......Page 41
Methodological action research......Page 42
A retrospective of the IS discipline in Australia......Page 43
The IS discipline in Queensland, 2006......Page 45
The IS discipline in the Australian Capital Territory, 2006......Page 47
The IS discipline in New South Wales, 2006, and response......Page 48
The IS discipline in Tasmania, 2006......Page 51
The IS discipline in Victoria, 2006......Page 52
IS teaching and research in WA universities......Page 53
A longitudinal study of IS research in Australia......Page 54
The Australasian Conference on Information Systems......Page 55
ACIS archival analysis......Page 59
Conclusion......Page 60
Limitations......Page 61
References......Page 62
Type of case study......Page 66
Theoretical framework......Page 67
Preparation for the interview......Page 68
Get identifying data and the scope of relevant knowledge.......Page 69
Get a picture of the distinctive features of the IS curriculum at the university.......Page 70
Get a picture of the distinctive features of IS research at the university.......Page 71
Acknowledgements......Page 72
Introduction......Page 75
Origins and nature of the IS discipline......Page 77
Europe......Page 81
North America......Page 82
Until 1960......Page 84
From 1960 to 1973......Page 86
From 1974 to 1987......Page 92
Since 1988......Page 95
Drivers and scope......Page 98
International orientation and impact......Page 105
Discipline size and staff location......Page 107
Relationships with the IS profession......Page 109
Relationships with industry......Page 111
Political weakness and resource constraints......Page 112
The research domain......Page 114
Research techniques......Page 116
Conclusions......Page 117
Select bibliography......Page 118
The basis of the compilation......Page 126
List by institution......Page 127
List by person......Page 128
Appendix 2.2: Early Australian PhDs in IS......Page 130
Appendix 2.3: The early international impact of Australian IS......Page 132
Acknowledgements of others......Page 134
Vale Cyril Brookes......Page 135
3. Characterising academic information systems in Australia: developing and evaluating a theoretical framework......Page 137
Introduction......Page 138
Approaches to the development of disciplines......Page 140
Theory......Page 141
Research methods and standards......Page 143
Combined approaches to explain disciplinary development......Page 145
Whitley’s theory of scientific change......Page 147
Motivation to understand the nature and development of a discipline......Page 149
Management......Page 150
Methodology......Page 151
Results......Page 152
Framework development......Page 154
Adaptability of framework to future change in IS......Page 156
Review of the recent literature on pragmatism......Page 157
Applicability of the framework to IS in other world regions......Page 158
Applying the framework to IS in North America: a comment from Professor Bob Zmud, from the Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma, USA......Page 159
Core body of knowledge......Page 160
Degree of professionalism......Page 161
Applying the framework to IS in the United Kingdom: a comment from Professors Frank Land, from the London School of Economics, and Antony Bryant, from the School of Information Management at Leeds Metropolitan University, UK......Page 162
Applying the framework to IS in Scandinavia: a comment from Professor Karlheinz Kautz, from the Copenhagen Business School, Denmark......Page 164
Collating international views on the framework......Page 167
Conclusions......Page 168
Select bibliography......Page 169
The state case studies......Page 177
4. The information systems discipline in Australia’s capital......Page 179
Introduction......Page 180
The theoretical framework guiding the study......Page 181
The universities in this study......Page 183
ADFA......Page 184
The ANU......Page 185
The UC......Page 186
ADFA......Page 187
The ANU......Page 188
The UC......Page 189
The ANU......Page 190
The UC......Page 191
Mechanisms of control......Page 192
d) Knowledge domain......Page 193
e) Range of knowledge types......Page 195
Degree of professionalisation......Page 196
Select bibliography......Page 197
Introduction......Page 201
Overview of the IS presence in NSW universities......Page 202
The UNSW......Page 203
The UTS......Page 204
Charles Sturt University, Riverina......Page 205
IS as a separate field......Page 206
Vignette—Igor Hawryszkiewycz......Page 207
Conclusion......Page 209
Addendum: another perspective on the IS discipline in NSW universities......Page 210
References......Page 212
6. The information systems academic discipline in Queensland......Page 215
Introduction......Page 216
Theoretical framework guiding the study......Page 217
Relative size of the IS presence in Queensland universities......Page 218
The administrative placement of IS in Queensland universities......Page 220
Distinctive features of the IS curriculum......Page 222
Distinctive features of IS research......Page 225
Vignette—Ron Weber......Page 228
Vignette—Ed Fitzgerald......Page 230
Vignette—Alan Underwood......Page 231
The status of IS as a distinct discipline in Queensland......Page 232
Review of findings......Page 233
Limitations and future research......Page 234
General findings from the Queensland study......Page 235
References......Page 236
7. Information systems in South Australia: a critical investigation......Page 237
Theoretical framework guiding the study......Page 238
Data analysis......Page 239
Flinders University of South Australia......Page 240
IS at the University of South Australia......Page 241
IS student and subject numbers at the University of South Australia......Page 243
IS at the University of Adelaide......Page 244
The impact of local contingencies on IS education......Page 245
The University of Adelaide......Page 246
The University of South Australia......Page 247
The University of South Australia......Page 248
The University of South Australia......Page 249
Vignette—Terry Robbins-Jones......Page 251
Review of findings......Page 252
Limitations and future research......Page 253
References......Page 254
8. The information systems discipline in Tasmania......Page 257
Aims of the study......Page 258
Methodology......Page 259
Respondent characteristics and IS administrative placement and size......Page 261
Curriculum and teaching issues......Page 262
Research issues......Page 264
IS as a separate field......Page 265
Distinguishing IS from business and computer science......Page 266
The role of IS service teaching......Page 267
Distinctive tools, techniques and technologies......Page 268
Research output and funding......Page 269
Balance between research and teaching and incentives for each......Page 270
Key people who have had an impact on IS......Page 271
Vignette—Chris Keen......Page 272
Vignette—Arthur Sale......Page 273
Others......Page 274
Analysis and findings: level two......Page 275
IS research and teaching at the UTAS in mid-2007......Page 278
Arthur Sale, Emeritus Professor of Computer Science, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor......Page 279
Views......Page 280
Skills and knowledge required by ICT professionals......Page 281
Merger of the Schools of Computing and Information Systems......Page 282
Conclusions......Page 283
Select bibliography......Page 284
Appendix 8.1......Page 285
Introduction......Page 287
Purpose of the Victorian study......Page 289
The research method......Page 290
The universities in this study......Page 291
The administrative placement of IS in Victorian universities......Page 292
Distinctive features of the IS curriculum......Page 295
Distinctive features of IS research......Page 297
Key people who have had an impact on IS in universities in Victoria......Page 299
Vignette 1—Graeme Shanks......Page 300
The status of IS as a distinct discipline in Victoria......Page 301
Review of findings......Page 304
General findings from the Victorian study......Page 305
References......Page 306
The West Australian scene......Page 309
Overview of WA universities......Page 310
Curtin University of Technology......Page 311
Murdoch University......Page 312
Courses......Page 313
Research......Page 314
Richard Watson......Page 316
Conclusions......Page 317
References......Page 318
Australia-wide......Page 321
Introduction......Page 323
Results......Page 324
References......Page 332
12. The information systems academic discipline in Australian universities: a meta-analysis......Page 335
Introduction......Page 336
Approach adopted......Page 337
Size of the IS presence in Australian universities......Page 338
Summary......Page 342
Attracting research funding......Page 343
Structural location and independence of IS groups......Page 344
Other ways of attaining prestigious reputations......Page 347
Research and teaching methods and standards......Page 349
Teaching......Page 350
Summary......Page 351
Key IS topics in research and teaching......Page 352
Key IS teaching topics......Page 353
Key IS research topics......Page 354
Summary......Page 355
Research......Page 356
Teaching......Page 357
Summary......Page 358
Teaching......Page 359
Impact on research and teaching......Page 360
Changes to organisational arrangements......Page 361
The RQF and its impact......Page 362
Limitations and future research......Page 363
Conclusions......Page 364
Select bibliography......Page 367
Appendix 12.1: analysis of IS research topics by state......Page 368
Glossary of terms......Page 371