A Research Framework for Theorizing

Abstract

Every IS researcher applies implicitly (by experience) methods of discovery—so-called heuristics—to advance theorizing about the adoption, the utilization and the success of emerging IT innovations. Heuristics represent experience-based theory-building practices of IS researchers that aim for creating new insights on phenomena. Taking positivist cloud innovation research as an empirical sample, this chapter inductively explores previous cloud research with respect to the heuristics applied and subsequently evaluates—based on positivists’ epistemological assumptions—the potential of these heuristics for advancing theorizing and producing scientific progress. The developed research framework can be used as a tool by researchers for better carving out the behavioral changes induced by emerging IT innovations, for critically assessing own research projects, and for developing new perspectives on IT innovation phenomena.

What does it take to have something to say? It takes two things. The first is a puzzle, something about the social world that is odd, unusual, unexpected, or novel. The second is a clever idea that responds to or interprets or solves that puzzle. Everything else—the methods, the literature, the description of data—is really just window dressing. The heart of good work is a puzzle and an idea

Andrew Abbot (2004) in his book “Methods of Discovery: Heuristics for the Social Sciences”