Emerging Topics in Information Systems, 7.5 cr (EIN003F)

Doctoral course at the Department of Informatics

Course overview

This is an intermediate 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 emphasises 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 and design

The course will be structured around main themes in the literature. Themes and topics covered include the following:

the evolving IS discipline and next generational theories
the use/application of mixed-methods in IS research
artificial intelligence and generative AI
digital innovation and transformation
digital platforms and ecosystems
the future of work and digital labour
smart-home technologies
digital health and biotech
societal and global impacts of technology
research frontiers and future IS scholarship

The course will take place over nine course sessions organised as approximately 3-hour seminars conducted online (for the first 5 sessions) and then the last four conducted in-person.

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 five 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: 1) generating a scholarly discussion, involving all (most) course participants in the discussion, 2) summarizing key points, 3) creating an integrative framework capturing the essence of the readings, 4) facilitating the exploration of linkages among readings, and 5) posing some discussion questions. Leaders are encouraged to use slides during the discussions.

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

Application

Emerging Topics in Information Systems (EIN003F) is open for applications until 19 June 2026.

Doctoral students accepted to the Doctoral Programme in Informatics or an adjacent subject are eligible for the course. You are welcome to submit an application by sending an email to Carla Böhme at carla [dot] bohme [at] ics [dot] lu [dot] se (carla[dot]bohme[at]ics[dot]lu[dot]se). Please, include the following:

doctoral students at Lund University: your name, date of birth and personal ID number
doctoral students from other universities: a copy of a valid passport or swedish ID
doctoral thesis title or main theme
subject area of study, department and university
your progress level i.e. how far you are in the PhD process
a short motivation explaining the reasons for wanting to join the course and how it is relevant to your thesis work
a pdf-document explaining that your supervisor approves of your participation in the course – signed by your supervisor
your mobile number

General information about admission and selection can be found on our page Doctoral studies at the Department of Informatics.

Doctoral studies at the Department of Informatics