Simulation-Based Research in Information Systems

Abstract

Simulations provide a useful methodological approach for studying the behavior of complex socio-technical information systems (IS), in which humans and IT artefacts interact to process information. However, the use of simulations is relatively new in IS research and the current presence and impact of simulation-based studies is still limited. Furthermore, simulation-based research is quite different from other approaches, making it difficult to position and evaluate adequately. Therefore, this paper first analyses the particularities of simulation-based IS research that distinguish this approach from other, more conventional approaches. Based on this analysis, we then conduct a structured literature review of the status quo of simulation-based IS research, to understand how IS researchers currently employ simulation. In combination, a comparison of the theoretical potential of simulation-based research in IS with its current status quo enables us to derive a set of propositions, which provide guidance for prospective simulationbased research.

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