This book introduces higher-degree research students and early career
academics to scientific research as occurring in the field of
information systems and adjacent fields, such as computer science,
management science, organization science, and software engineering.
Instead of focusing primarily on research methods as many other
textbooks do, it covers the entire research process, from start to
finish, placing particular emphasis on understanding the cognitive and
behavioural aspects of research, such as motivation, modes of inquiry,
theorising, planning for research, planning for publication, and ethical
challenges in research. Comprehensive but also succinct and compact, the
book guides beginning researchers in their quest to do scholarly work
and to assist them in developing their own answers and strategies over
the course of their work.
Jan Recker explains in this book the fundamental concepts that govern
scientific research and then moves on to introduce the basic steps every
researcher undertakes: choosing research questions, developing theory,
building a research design, employing research methods, and finally
writing academic papers. He also covers essentials of ethical conduct of
scientific research. This second edition contains major updates on all
these elements plus significant expansions on relevant research methods
such as design research and computational methods, a rewritten and
extended chapter on theory development, and expansions to the chapters
on research methods, scientific publishing, and research ethics. A
companion website provides pedagogical materials and instructions for
using this book in teaching.
