FIT5181 Advanced topics in information systems - Semester 2, 2014

This unit will develop students capabilities to undertake research in the information systems field. Students will learn various research methods and study published research papers in which these research methods have been used. Students will learn to evaluate how well the research methods have been used in published research papers. Students will also develop an understanding of some of the exciting, leading-edge research in the information systems field. This understanding may enable students to identify research topics that they would like to pursue, perhaps in an honours, masters, or PhD thesis.

Mode of Delivery

Workload Requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

• One 3-hour seminar

(b.) Additional requirements (all students):

• A minimum of 9 hours independent study per week for completing project work, private study and revision.

Additional workload requirements

Unit Relationships

Prohibitions

FIT4007

Co-requisites

FIT4005

Chief Examiner

Campus Lecturer

Your feedback to Us

Previous Student Evaluations of this Unit

Previous student feedback has indicated they are very satisfied with this unit and that they find the content of the unit to be challenging but useful in developing their research capabilities. No changes have been made for this semester.

Academic Overview

Learning Outcomes

• developed capabilities to undertake research in the information systems field;
• learned various research methods and study published research papers in which these research methods have been used;
• learned to evaluate how well the research methods have been used in published research papers.

Unit Schedule

*Unit Schedule details will be maintained and communicated to you via your learning system.

Teaching Approach

Assessment Summary

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Policy

Assessment Tasks

Participation

• Assessment task 1

  Title:

  Critical evaluation of a published paper in an information systems journal

  Description:

  You will be asked to evaluate the quality of a paper published in one of the information systems journals.  Based on the readings you have undertaken in the first part of the semester, you should point out the strengths and weaknesses of the paper.  You should also point out ways in which the quality of the research undertaken in the paper could have been improved.

  Weighting:

  35%

  Criteria for assessment:

  The criteria used to assess the assignment are:

  1. Quality of your evaluation of the researchers' choice of problem.
  2. The quality of rhetoric used by the researchers to motivate the choice of the problem they have addressed.
  3. Quality of your evaluation of the theory and propositions provided by the researchers.
  4. Quality of your evaluation of the research method used by the researchers.
  5. Quality of your suggestions for ways in which to improve the research described in the paper.
  6. Quality of your presentation, grammar, and style.

  Due date:

  26 September 2014, 5pm

• Assessment task 2

  Title:

  Seminar participation

  Description:

  Students are expected to actively participate in and from time to time lead the class discussion.  When students are responsible for leading the class discussion, they should prepare a brief handout (maximum one page) identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the paper to be read by the class.  They should make sufficient copies of this handout to give to each member of the class at the start of the discussion on the paper.

  Weighting:

  15% (consisting of the average of a student's best 10 participation scores).

  Criteria for assessment:

  The "ability to contribute to a structured discussion of key IS issues" is one of the objectives of FIT5181. 

  Each week the lecturer will assess the contribution of each student based on:

  (a) the student's understanding of the readings that have been assigned,
  (b) the student's insights in terms of the quality of the assigned readings, and
  (c) the extent to which the student contributes constructively to the class discussion. 

  The seminar participation mark will be the average of a student's best ten participation scores.  Students will be notified of their participation mark each week and their overall participation mark in Week 12.  A copy of the assessment proforma that will be used is available on the Moodle-based unit website.

  Due date:

  At the beginning of each week's class

Examinations

• Examination 1

  Weighting:

  50%

  Length:

  3 hours

  Type (open/closed book):

  Open book

  Electronic devices allowed in the exam:

  None

  Remarks:

  Critical evaluation of a paper published in an information systems journal.

Learning resources

Reading list

Week 1:  Introduction; Choosing the Research Problem

Locke, K., and Golden-Biddle, K. (1997).  Constructing opportunities for contribution:  Structuring intertextual coherence and “problematizing” in organizational studies.  Academy of Management Journal, 40 (5), 1023-1062.

Week 2:  Theory Building-I

Gregor, S. (2006).  The nature of theory in information systems.  MIS Quarterly, 30 (3), 611-642.

Weber, R. (2012).  Evaluating and developing theories in the information systems discipline.  Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 13 (1), 1-30. (Read up to the end of Section 4 of Weber’s paper).

Week 3:  Theory Building-II

Griffith, T.L., Sawyer, J.E., & Neale, M.A. (2003).  Virtualness and knowledge in teams:  Managing the love triangle of organizations, individuals, and information technology.  MIS Quarterly, 27 (2), 265-287.

Weber, R. (2012).  Evaluating and developing theories in the information systems discipline.  Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 13 (1), 1-30. (Read from Section 5 to the end of Weber’s paper.  Please check the validity of Weber’s analysis of Griffith et al.’s paper).

Week 4:  Experiments-I

Experimental design reading from Web:

http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/contents.php

Read the “Design” section only of this e-book up to but not including the subsection on “Hybrid Experimental Designs.”

Week 5:  Experiments-II

Experimental design reading from Web:

http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/contents.php

Read the subsections on “Construct Validity” and Reliability” only under the  “Measurement” section of this e-book.  Omit the subsubsection on “Pattern Matching for Construct Validity” under the subsection “Construct Validity.”

Week 6:  Experiments-III

Allen, G.N., & March, S.T. (2006).  The effects of state-based and event-based data representation on user performance in query formulation tasks.  MIS Quarterly, 30 (2), 269-290.

Adipat, B., Zhang, D, and Zhou, L. (2011).  The effects of tree-view based presentation adaptation on mobile web browsing.  MIS Quarterly, 35 (1), 99-121.

Week 7:  Case Study Research-I

Eisenhardt, K.M. (1989).  Building theories from case study research.  Academy of Management Review, 14 (4), 532-550.

Klein, H.K. & Myers, D. (1999).  A set of principles for conducting and evaluating interpretive field studies in information systems.  MIS Quarterly, 23 (1), 67-94.

Week 8:  Case Study Research-II

Sarker, S., & Lee, A.S. (2006). Does the use of computer-based BPC tools contribute to redesign effectiveness?  Insights from a hermeneutic study.  IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 53 (1), 130-145.

Chua, C.E.H., Lim, W-K., Soh, C., and Sia, S.K. (2012).  Enacting clan control in complex IT projects:  A social capital perspective.  MIS Quarterly, 36 (2), 577-600.

Week 9:  Design Science Research-I

Hevner, A.R., March, S. T., Park, J., & Ram, S. (2004).  Design science in information systems research.  MIS Quarterly, 28 (1), 75-106.

Gregor, S., & Jones, D. (2007).  The anatomy of a design theory.  Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 8 (5), 312-335.

Week 10:  Design Science Research-II

Arnott, D. (2006).  Cognitive biases and decision support systems development:  A design science approach.  Information Systems Journal, 16 (1), 55-78.

Albert, T.C., Goes, P.B, & Gupta, A. (2004).  GIST:  A model for design and management of content and interactivity of customer-centric web sites.  MIS Quarterly, 28 (2), 161-182.

Week 11:  Action Learning-I

Davidson, R.M., Martinsons, M.G., & Kock, N. (2004).  Principles of canonical action research.  Information Systems Journal, 14, 65-86.

Mathiassen, L., Chiasson, M., and Germonprez, M. (2012).  Style composition in action research publication.  MIS Quarterly, 36 (2), 347-363.

Week 12:  Action Learning-II

DeLuca, D., and Valacich, J.S. (2006).  Virtual teams in and out of synchronicity.  Information Technology & People, 19 (4), 323 – 344.

Braa, J., Monteiro, E., & Sahay, S. (2004).  Networks of action:  Sustainable health information systems across developing countries.  MIS Quarterly, 28 (3), 337-362.

Feedback to you

• Graded assignments with comments
• Other: You will receive feedback each week on the quality of your participation in the class discussion.  You will also receive written comments on your mid-semester assignment.  The solution to the assignment will be discussed in class after all assignments have been graded and returned to students.  Students should also feel free to discuss their performance in class with their lecturer at any time during the semester.

Extensions and penalties

Returning assignments

Assignment submission

Online submission

If Electronic Submission has been approved for your unit, please submit your work via the learning system for this unit, which you can access via links in the my.monash portal.

Required Resources

All reading materials used in the unit will be available online through the Moodle web site for the unit.

Examination material or equipment

The final examination is open book.  All reading materials used in the unit can be taken into the final examination if a student so wishes.

Other Information

Policies

Graduate Attributes Policy

Student Charter

Student services

Monash University Library

Disability Liaison Unit