While ethics are recognized as an integral part of information systems (IS) research, many questions about the role of ethics in research practice remain unanswered. Our report responds to this emerging set of concerns with a broad and integrative account of five perspectives on ethics in IS research and design science research (DSR) in particular. Our report is informed by a broad literature review, a panel discussion at DESRIST 2020, and substantial personal experience from wrestling with ethical considerations in the field. The report provides a comprehensive discussion of prevailing perspectives on ethics and the implications for IS research. Together, we hope the report will inspire more ethics-conscious and responsible IS research.
One of the open methodological concerns for design science research (DSR) in information systems is how to think about and deal with the notion of context. This paper takes an important step toward clarifying the notion of context and elaborates how it can be dealt with from a DSR perspective. In particular, we present a coherent theoretical account of context grounded in pragmatism. Moreover, we also reify this understanding into a context taxonomy and context framework for DSR. Altogether, we intend to provide a sound foundation and a fruitful platform for DSR that is more attuned to the particularities of context.
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