Special issue of Information Technology and People on Critical Research in Information Systems

Guest Editors (in alphabetical order)

Lynette Kvasny, The Pennsylvania State University (USA), lkvasny@ist.psu.edu

Helen Richardson, The University of Salford (UK), H.Richardson@salford.ac.uk

Information Technology & People has been at the leading edge of research that discerns not only the interrelationship of information technology and the organization, but new methods and theories for perceiving and understanding this relationship. Following this tradition, we are delighted to serve as guest editors for a special issue that advances critical Information Systems (IS) research.

Despite diversity within the critical tradition of the social sciences, critical research in information systems has historically been informed by the Frankfurt school and dominated by the work of Habermas. More recently other critical voices are being heard.

Regardless of theoretical orientation informing the analysis, critical research advances a political agenda, exhibits an empirical sensitivity, and uncovers systems of institutional repression and human resistance. It demands reflexivity, and draws attention to power relations in human contexts. Thus, critical research is praxis oriented - combining theory and action (praxis) to create scholarship which may lead to more equitable social change.

In this special issue, we welcome scholarly inquiry that is informed by critical social theories, and examines the complex relationships between information systems and their cultural, national, organizational, political and/or social context of use. Manuscripts should address topics that advance the critical agenda in IS research. These topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Theoretical foundations: the ontological and epistemological assumptions of a critical theory and how these assumptions can inform emancipatory IS research; the use of feminist theories, postcolonial theories and other critical social theories as foundations for IS research; postmodern notions of identity and representation in cyberspace; building critical theory in IS research.
• Paradigmatic and methodological issues: methodological strategies appropriate for a critical IS research agenda; critique of research methods from a critical perspective; guidelines for assessing and conducting critical IS research; future directions for critical IS research; linkage between theory and practice in critical IS research; problems and challenges in conducting critical IS research.
• Empirical studies: the impacts of information technologies on increased surveillance, domination, control, and alienation in organizations and public spaces; uses of information technologies to support emancipatory projects; human agency and resistance to domination; hidden agendas and underlying assumptions in information systems development projects; under-representation of women and minorities in technology-related disciplines in the academy, the IT workforce and society; imperialist assumptions and practices in information technology and economic development projects in developing countries; the exercise of managerial power and control through organizational information systems; deconstruction of information technology policy documents.
• Praxis and reflexivity: self-reflexivity and the researchers' relationship with the context and subjects of research; mechanisms for achieving emancipation in organizations and the academy;

Submission Guidelines:

Manuscripts should be submitted via the electronic submission system of the journal (http://www.itandpeople.org). The manuscript should be in Word format. Manuscripts will be screened by the guest editors prior to review. The normal IT&P standards of reviewing are applied for Special Issues which includes double blind reviewing. Manuscripts must be original and not have been published elsewhere.

Please direct inquiries to the Guest Editors:

Lynette Kvasny, +1.814.865.6458 voice, E-mail: lkvasny@ist.psu.edu

 Helen Richardson,  +44.161.295.5434 voice, E-mail: H.Richardson@salford.ac.uk

Important Dates:

Submission of first manuscripts: July 29, 2005

Initial review period: July 29 2005 – December 16 2005

Notification to authors: December 19, 2005

Subsequent revision review period: December 19 2005 – April 3, 2006

Guest editors submit completed edition to IT&P: May 2006

Date of publication: 2006/2007