Paradigm Wars: Ceasefire Announced who Will set up the New Administration? <sup>†</sup>
Journal of Information TechnologyPublished 10 August 2004
John Mingers
Citations55
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SJR score2.19
SNIP2.15
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TL;DR
This paper presents a personal overview of the history of the IS discipline over the last 20 years, and highlights two particular strands of development over which there has been much controversy – the so-called paradigm wars and the related debate over a critical approach to information systems.
Abstract
This paper presents a personal overview of the history of the IS discipline over the last 20 years. It highlights two particular strands of development over which there has been much controversy - the so-called paradigm wars which were an epistemological battle between positivism and interpretivism; and the related debate over a critical approach to information systems. It is argued that the battle has died down and a period of stability has emerged. But further development needs to occur, especially in the area of critical management, and the philosophy of critical realism can be a significant way forward.
Keywords
Social SciencesDecision SciencesBusiness, Management and Accounting
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