Research Commentary: Desperately Seeking the "IT" in IT Research--A Call to Theorizing the IT Artifact

• Published in: Information systems research Vol. 12; no. 2; pp. 121 - 134
• Main Authors: Orlikowski, Wanda J, Iacono, C. Suzanne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Linthicum INFORMS 01.06.2001; The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS); Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
• Subjects: Computer technology; Conceptualization; Dependent variables; Emerging technology; History of technology; Information processing; Information storage and retrieval systems; Information systems; Information Systems Research; Information Technology; IT Research; IT Theory; Organizational change; Proxy reporting; Proxy statements; Researchers; Social interaction; Socioeconomics; Sociology; Studies; Technological Artifacts; Technological change; Technology Change; Theory
• ISSN: 1047-7047; 1526-5536
• DOI: 10.1287/isre.12.2.121.9700

The field of information systems is premised on the centrality of information technology in everyday socio-economic life. Yet, drawing on a review of the full set of articles published in Information Systems Research ( ISR ) over the past ten years, we argue that the field has not deeply engaged its core subject matter—the information technology (IT) artifact. Instead, we find that IS researchers tend to give central theoretical significance to the context (within which some usually unspecified technology is seen to operate), the discrete processing capabilities of the artifact (as separable from its context or use), or the dependent variable (that which is posited to be affected or changed as technology is developed, implemented, and used). The IT artifact itself tends to disappear from view, be taken for granted, or is presumed to be unproblematic once it is built and installed. After discussing the implications of our findings, we propose a research direction for the IS field that begins to take technology as seriously as its effects, context, and capabilities. In particular, we propose that IS researchers begin to theorize specifically about IT artifacts, and then incorporate these theories explicitly into their studies. We believe that such a research direction is critical if IS research is to make a significant contribution to the understanding of a world increasingly suffused with ubiquitous, interdependent, and emergent information technologies.