Mobius Transitions in the Dilemma of Legitimacy

Abstract

While qualitative research can be analytic, rational and positivist (Myers ongoing), it tends to be associated within IS with more relativistic, descriptive and phenomenological approaches. This poses something of a problem in contrasting quantitative with qualitative approaches, because there is a contrast among qualitative works just as there are interesting differences amongst quantitative approaches. On the whole in this chapter, I take a position about the future of research that is descriptive and that questions the reification of many constructs upon which much quantitative research within information systems is based.