Expanding the horizons of information systems development (original) (raw)
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Editorial, new trends in information systems development
Information Systems Journal, 2013
Information systems development (ISD), at the core of the information systems discipline, is an evolving field, faced with persistent challenges due to rapidly changing social and business environments as well as emerging technologies and technical infrastructures. Many of these issues have been discussed in the Information Systems Journal (see, for example, Kautz et al., 2007). Developments such as the Web 2.0 based on interactivity and graphical multimedia features, mobile application development for handheld devices, business applications based on standardised software architectures and software-as-services offered as part of a cloud pose new challenges to the development of IS products. Global and distributed organisations, agile software development and the reversal of outsourced and offshored development (insourcing) impact how information systems (IS) are designed, developed and delivered. These trends lead to new or adapted IS products, which have to be developed under new conditions, and these changes add complexity to an already complex problem space wherein, despite 50 years of ISD experience, the perception of the so-called 'software crisis' still persists. Unfinished and runaway projects, information systems poorly aligned with businesses and user requirements, and the resources required to develop ISD are still major concerns. Research in the field is largely fragmented, and practice often seems to be ahead of research. Conversely, where research is indeed ahead, industrial uptake of academic research results is often limited. As a consequence, there is an urgent need for an extant and integrative theory based on extensive, empirical field research. The aim of this special issue is to publish new research, which investigates the new trends in ISD from both a product and a process perspective and which goes beyond surface-level considerations. There is a general paucity of theory-building in ISD research; theory and studies of longitudinal processes of organisation, specialisation and institutionalisation in ISD are needed. Little ISD research goes beyond ISD methods; there is a need for theory and studies about social behaviour and processes of communication, negotiation, and learning and the relation to the broader historical, political and social context of ISD. Finally, there is a paucity of ISD research that relates individual knowledge, learning and sense-making to the broader context; this kind of theory and related studies are also needed. We have therefore called for research addressing questions such as: What are the different types of ISD relating to social, commercial, organisational and technological contexts? How is this diversity dealt
Realigning Research and Practice in Information Systems Development, 2001
Infonnation systems development (ISD) continues to be an issue of central significance and concern in the IS field-arguably the core topic for the field. Even as new research topics emerge in tandem with the latest developments in technology, the core issue of how to develop systems to leverage these new technologies and topics remains as problematic as ever. Looking at electronic commerce, one of the most recent areas to have stimulated much research interest, we can see that the work in this area is characterized initially by research that considers the basic functionality of these systems: what can they do? Then the focus moves to how to manage them: how can they be used to support organizational strategy? However, a fundamental principle-which may seem obvious, but is nevertheless not always stated-is that all of these systems have to be developed, and that someone must assume responsibility for doing that. Another fundamental principle is that identifying the purpose, functions, and structure of these systems is an extremely complex process. Although some aspects of the development process have come to be more automated (supported by technology such as CASE tools, for example), the social and organizational issues remain as the crucially important ones. How do we get the right system for the organization? How does the process of development change? Who are the stakeholders? Even in the packaged The original version of this chapter was revised: The copyright line was incorrect. This has been corrected. The Erratum to this chapter is available at
An Integrative Framework of the Information Systems Development Process
Decision Sciences, 2000
Despite more than 25 years of research on the processes and outcomes of information systems development in organizations, deficiencies exist in our knowledge about the effective management of complex systems development processes. Although individual studies have generated a wealth of findings, there is a need for a cumulative framework that facilitates interpretation of what has been learned and what needs to be learned about the process of information systems development. This paper reviews prior research on ISD processes and identifies the different types of contributions that have been made to our growing knowledge. More important, it generates a cumulative framework for understanding the process of ISD that could provide a valuable template for future research and practice.
Persistent problems and practices in information systems development
Information Systems Journal, 2007
Abstract. This paper identifies and discusses the persistent problems and development practices of information systems development (ISD). A critical examination and comparison of past times’‘traditional’ and present-day ‘web-based’ development shows that contemporary ISD can be seen as an accentuated evolution – rather than a revolution – of well-known challenges and solutions. On this basis, (1) diversity; (2) knowledge; and (3) structure are identified as inherent and interrelated problems, while the practices for coping with these three challenges are (a) organization and specialization; (b) constant verbal communication and negotiation; and (c) pragmatic application of certain development methods and methodical concepts. We conclude that more research on the occurrence and interaction of problems and practices at, and between, different contextual levels (e.g. the business environment, company, project, team and individual levels) is needed to understand and assess (the gap between) ‘observed practice’ and ‘good practice’ across the many types of Web and non-Web ISD projects conducted today. We outline a possible research agenda to investigate these issues.
Information systems development: Reflections on a discipline
Accounting, Management and Information Technologies, 1996
Any research discipline must reflect on its practices and results. A critical process of self reflection is needed to understand the history, to appreciate similarities and differences between key contributions, and to identify important trends and opportunities for improvement. Research activities oriented towards the discipline itself constitutes an important driving force in improving results and moving the discipline forward. The paper by Hirschheim, Klein, and Lyytinen (henceforth HKL) is therefore welcomed as an important contribution to understanding and improving information systems development (ISD) as our field of interest.
Advances in Information Systems Development
Lecture notes in information systems and organisation, 2018
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Information systems development: methodologies, techniques and tools
2003
This paper first provides a historical perspective on approaches to developing infonnation systems and argues that there are major weaknesses associated with the conventional waterfall model and the methodologies which followed. The paper suggests that a contingency approach to information systems development has much to offer and looks at Multiview, which is described as an exploration in infom1ation systems development. Some strengths and weaknesses of this contingency approach an~ highlighted and a new version of Multi view offered. This description enahles a further discussion of infom1ation systems development and suggests that human and organisational aspect are at least as important as the technical ones which tend to he emphasised. Information systems development is seen as first a social process, though it will contain technical aspects. This social process is examined in more detail illustrating the arguments, for example, with different views of the systems analyst and the problem situation in this process. Such a broad approach also suggests that the area of which infom1ation systems development is a part, is multi-disciplinary where technology and computing are hy no means dominant.