this IS research Nick Berente and Jan Recker

According to the internet, Elon Musk is often praised for his visionary mindset, innovation, risk-taking attitude, and energy. is just like that, we think. With the positivity he brings into every project and meeting, Jan has been right at the center of many seminal developments in our field over the past twenty years, from the rise of design science to the inception of NeuroIS, the development of literature reviews, and more recently the creation of process science. We take the opportunity to reflect with him on his work, the way he builds and steers highly successful research groups, and how he manages to do research that is both impactful and engaging to many different audiences. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .

In science, citations are used to give credit to sources that are relevant to the topic that is being discussed where the citation appears.  They are a key vehicle through which we establish a cumulative knowledge tradition – we use them to acknowledge material that informs our arguments. But citations are much more than that. They have become a key metric of academic success in their own right, providing a quantifiable basis to measure a scholar’s impact, reputation, and fame. And as any metrics-based systems, also the citation system can be gamed, and is being gamed. Time to unpack the role that citations play and discuss which citations are legit – and which may just be a bit flunky. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .

Research is a conversation. Every scholar must become a professional writer. But how do we learn these things? Most graduate school programs do not include a writing course and books on how to write are read even less than other types of books. Is good writing maybe all either genetics or just experience? Or does it depend on how we approach research, either phenomena- or theory-driven? We think both things matter – but there are also some practical steps people can take to get their writing going and maintain the flow of writing. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .

The thing is, special issues are special. Hence the name. But what is it that makes them special? We look at some of the hottest special issues out there for information systems researchers and we discuss three key aspects of special issues – topical fit, competition, and process – that provide both advantages and disadvantages to researchers thinking about submitting to them. And for some weird reason we end up discussing our experiences at doctoral and junior faculty consortia and why everyone should attend them, always. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .

Jan has a boy crush on IS Econ researchers while Nick thinks they reduce all phenomena to regressions. Time to put both myths – and a few others – to rest. We brought on the inimitable and wonderful and to talk about everything you ever wanted to know about economics, econometrics, difference-in-difference designs, mechanism identifications, analytical modeling, and forbidden comparisons. At the end of it all, Jan’s boy crush has subsided a little bit – which is probably good – and Nick’s theory that every study is just a case study is, well, still a theory. But Gordon and Brad share a wealth of insights and tricks about how to do good econometric research in IS and how to get it published. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on . Also, just to be clear – the 2024 SIG DITE paper development workshop keynote speakers are not yet confirmed, but it will definitely be worthwhile to attend. In case you are interested, follow .

Generative AI is the biggest tech issue of our time. We might be witnessing history in the making. At least, so says , who is not only but also has been studying AI and innovation for years and who is part of an inter-disciplinary team that explores the impact of generative AI on professional practices. Together, we decipher what is new and what is not, what is different and what is the same, before and after tools such as ChatGPT and Midjourney entered society at large. As usual, the references to readings we mention are listed on .