Narrative methodologies in information systems literature: illuminating interconnectivity and change over time

Abstract

This tutorial presents an action net-based narrative research methodology that is particularly useful for describing, undertaking, and understanding process-oriented field research related to IT-enabled change. We use work in the fields of cognitive psychology, organization theory, and information systems to inform the approach. This methodology is part of an emerging body of IS narrative research, and we argue that adopting it can bring multiple insights about IS change initiatives and technology artifacts. By exploiting an action net-based narrative methodology at all stages of their empirical work, researchers can better see the interconnectivity of narratives and follow the change process as it unfolds. We present a checklist for researchers interested in conducting narrative research and describe two categories of insight: 1) emergence and 2) repair. Attending to these two categories of insight may shape the nature of findings reported in such IS studies.