Rigor and Relevance in MIS Research-Introduction

Abstract

Benbasat and Zmud offer a diagnosis of 'why one tends today to observe a lack of relevance to practice in IS research' and a prescription of guidelines that 'the IS academic community might follow to introduce relevance into their research efforts and articles.' I will comment, first, on the ramifications of their self-avowed positivist orientation; second, on their model-in-use of what relevant research is (i.e., the instrumental model); and third, on the need for the IS research community to take a broad approach to the matter of relevance. I will also refer to the respective commentaries offered by Applegate, by Davenport and Markus, and by Lyytinen. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR