The course is given in collaboration between Uppsala University and Lund University. It is a mandatory course on the PhD programme in Informatics and to PhD students within the Research School Management and IT (MIT) and it is offered to external PhD students.The course is given on campus and requires attendance on seminars in Visby, Uppsala and Lund.

The course is given during the Spring term and is offered in English. 

Syllabus

Reading list

Course director Lunds University: Christina Keller

Course director Uppsala University: Pär Ågerfalk – uu.se

Course description

The course focuses on how different approaches, methodologies, and methods can be used in information systems research and introduces the students to the scholarly literature in information systems. The course provides the students with an overview of key areas in information systems research, and how different approaches methodologies, and methods are used. The course also supports the students in their development of a scholarly understanding of the fundamental issues and problems in theory building, theory testing, and theory use in information systems research.

Course background

The academic discipline of information systems is defined as the study of “the effective design, delivery, use and impact of information [and communication] technologies in organizations and society.” (Avison & Fitzgerald, 2003). The international academic discipline of information systems was founded in the 1960s under the label of management information systems and is continuously emerging along with the development of information technology (Hirschheim & Klein, 2012). The discipline employs a diversity of methodological approaches to empirical research, as well as theories and models, which can be developed within the discipline, but also adapted from reference disciplines. The discipline of information systems is in a Swedish context also called informatics.

This PhD course includes classic articles covering the historical development of information systems as a discipline, the use of theories within the discipline and the use of research approaches in information systems.

Course content

The course will be structured around main themes in the literature. These include the following:

• The characteristics of international academic information systems research
• The historical evolution of information systems research
• Theories frequently used in information systems research
• Theory testing and theory building in information systems research
• Rigor and relevance
• Qualitative approaches, methodologies and methods within information systems research
• Selecting and combining different approaches, methodologies and methods
• Social science and engaged scholarship

Course design

The course will take place over eight course days organized as two-day seminars, held about one month apart. The first three two-day sessions focus on a specific theme:

• Towards an understanding of information systems research (theme I).
• Use of theories, theory building, and theory testing in information systems research (theme II).
• Information systems research approaches and methodologies (theme III).

The course participants are expected to read the articles listed for each theme before the seminars in order to be prepared to present and discuss the contents of the article. During theme II, the course participants are expected to present one frequently used theory in information systems research based on seminal articles of that theory.

The course will end with a seminar where publishable papers based on the content of the course are presented and discussed. 

Assessment

Assessment will be done along several dimensions corresponding to the deliverables of the course. This includes the following:

• Active participation in the discussions and presentations of the four course seminars.
• The writing of three position papers of three pages (single-authored) each representing the three themes of the course.
• The writing and presentation of a publishable article of at least six pages (single-authored or co-authored) based on the course themes as well as an opposition on another PhD candidates’ similar article.

The course is offered on the PhD programme in Informatics, to PhD students within the Research School Management and IT (MIT) and to external PhD students.

The course has a two-day activity on each theme every month. The course will be given on campus. The course has an hybrid option that means that it can be possible to take some parts of the course from distance in discussion with the course director.

The course is given during the Spring term and is offered in English. 

Syllabus

Reading list

Study pace: 25%

Course director: Osama Mansour

Course description

The course focuses on the application and use of design science research in information systems. It provides knowledge on the fundamentals of methods and techniques classified as ‘design’ including artifact design, development, and evaluation. It also includes a discussion of the concepts of design, the IS artifact, design problems and solutions in addition to theories of design. The course is supplemented by a discussion of a specific form of design science research called Action Design Research (ADR). 

Course design

The course is designed to include extensive discussions of literature on design science research as well as hands-on exercises about the following themes: 

• Theories of design
• The design science research process, methods, and techniques
• The design of IS artifacts and products of design science research
• ADR

Course content

The course will be structured around main themes in the literature. These include the following:

• The characteristics of design science research in IS
• Theories of design and design as a science 
• The design science research process
• Design science research methods and techniques 
• The IS artifact and design science research products and outcomes
• Design science problems and solutions
• Action design research (ADR)

Assessment

Assessment will be done along several dimensions corresponding to the deliverables and learning outcomes of the course. This includes the following:

• Active participation in the discussions and presentations of the four course themes including the ADR exercises. (1 credit)
• Writing individual summaries of the reading literature in each theme – see separate instructions by the course leaders. (2 credits)
• Writing a group report outlining the outcome from ADR exercises – see separate instructions by the guest lecturer. (1.5 credits)
• Writing an individual publishable article on one of themes of the course – see separate instructions by the course leaders. (3 credits)

The course is offered on the PhD programme in Informatics, to PhD students within the Research School Management and IT (MIT) and to external PhD students.

The course will be given on campus. The course has an hybrid option that means that it can be possible to take some parts of the course from distance in discussion with the course director. 

The course is given during the Autumn term and is offered in English. 

Syllabus

Reading list

Study pace: 25%

Course director: Vacant

Course background

This is an advanced course in information systems (IS) research. The assumption is that course participants have already taken (or will be taking) an introductory course in research in IS that covers some of the foundational elements of research within the IS academic discipline. 

The IS academic community emphasizes both rigor and relevance. In order to keep up its relevance, core research topics in IS also continually change, mapping to the current trends in technologies. This course is designed to help participants gain an understanding of the most recent topics and trends in IS research.

Course content

The course will be structured around main themes in the literature. These include the following:

• Next-generation and new theories in IS
• The use/application of mixed-methods in IS research
• Digital Innovation and Transformation
• Platformization
• Artificial Intelligence 
• Sustainability and smart-home technologies
• Digital Health
• The role of technology and impacts on social issues 

Course design

The course will take place over nine course sessions organized as approximately two-day seminars, held ~3 weeks apart. 

The course participants are expected to read the articles listed for each theme before the seminars in order to be prepared to present and discuss the contents of the article. The reading load for each session will be usually eight to nine articles. Note that there will be a significant variance in the density of the articles, thus, students are advised to plan their reading and study time carefully. 

2-3 students will be assigned a leadership role during each session. Collaboratively, they will be responsible for generating a scholarly discussion, involving all (most) course participants in the discussion, summarizing key points, creating an integrative framework capturing the essence of the readings, and facilitating the exploration of linkages among readings. 

The course will end with a seminar where publishable papers based on the content of the course will be presented and discussed (see more details in the next section). 

Assessment

Assessment will be done along several dimensions corresponding to the deliverables of the course. This includes the following:

• Active participation in the discussions during the course seminars. To the extent possible, comments by course participants should be thoughtful and specific to the papers being covered. 
• Quality of discussion leadership demonstrated during the assigned course sessions
• Quality of the paper written for submission to selected conferences

The course is offered on the PhD programme in Informatics, to PhD students within the Research School Management and IT (MIT) and to external PhD students.

The course will be given on campus. The course has an hybrid option that means that it can be possible to take some parts of the course from distance in discussion with the course director.

The course is given during the Autumn term and is offered in English. 

Syllabus

Reading list

Study pace: 25%

Course director: Osama Mansour

Course background

The course focuses on critical readings of social media. It emphasizes on developing knowledge of social media that is rooted in classical philosophical traditions. This knowledge is aimed at understanding the ‘social’ or sociality in social media, communication and dialogue, subjective and objective reality, truth, power and politics, democracy and participation, and ideology and culture. The aim from the course is to conceptualize and discuss a critical social theory of social media. 

Course content

The course will be structured around main themes in the literature. These include the following:

• Social media technologies and their role in social life
• Human sociality in social media
• Philosophical accounts of the social 
• Philosophical accounts of digital technology 
• Structures of power, community, and human sociality. 
• The public sphere, social behavior, social facts, and social relations.  
• Critical theory of social media

Course design

The course is designed to include extensive discussions of literature on classic philosophy (Weber, Marx, Durkheim, Tönnies, and others) in relation to the following themes:

• What is social in social media.
• Social relations and structures of power in social media
• Individual and community behavior in social media
• Critical theory and philosophy of social media; on power, truth, democracy, and capitalism

Assessment

The assessment is based on seminar discussions (group reading circles) as well as final course paper as follows: 

• Reading the literature on one of the main course themes and leading a lecture and discussion during reading circles (3.5 credits)
• Writing and presenting an individual publishable paper on a selected theme based on the work of a classic philosopher (4 credits)