What is Antenarrative

Stories of failure make a compelling read, however, researchers with a keen interest in information systems failures face a double challenge: Not only is it difficult to obtain intimate details about the circumstances surrounding such failures, but there is also a dearth of information about the type of methods and approaches that can be utilised to collect, describe and disseminate such information. The purpose of this chapter is to highlight some of the available approaches and to clarify and enhance the methodological underpinning available to researchers. The chapter begins by framing IS project failures in context, before highlighting the role of forensic failure investigation and the typical tools employed in gathering information. It encourages a move from case studies to case histories to capture the essence, dynamics and complexities of failure stories. It concludes by introducing a new range of antenarrative approaches that represent future developments in the study of IS failures, enabling a richer interpretation of linked factors that underpin IS failures.