INFOSYS 720 Information Systems Research - Course Outlines

Course Prescription

A substantive review of research in the discipline of information systems. Behavioural, strategic and social issues relating to the design, implementation and impact of information technology applications will be studied.

Course Overview

Prerequisite: It is advisable for students to have completed at least one of the research methods courses (INFOSYS 750 or 751) before enrolling in INFOSYS 720. However, students can enrol in INFOSYS 750 or 751 concurrently with this course. INFOSYS 720 is a substantive overview of research in information systems, not a methods course. It is compulsory for all information systems students enrolled in or intending to enrol in the Masters or PhD programme.

Since this course is taught at postgraduate-level, it is organised as a seminar, and not as a series of lectures. This approach assumes that the lecturers and students can work together in a collaborative fashion. The role of the lecturers in this environment is to establish a framework and put together a set of materials for discussion, and to create the conditions suitable for learning. The underlying assumption is that we are all co-producers in learning.

Running the course as a seminar means that all students are expected to participate and contribute equally to the discussion. It is assumed that students will have read and thought about the assigned materials before class and come prepared to contribute to the class discussion. The classes are intended to be a forum for critically reviewing and discussing the set readings; students are expected to participate fully in this process.

The course will use a seminar format. Each paper will be assigned to a student who will lead the discussion. The student will be responsible for handing in a two-page summary and discussion questions at the start of class and will have overall responsibility for facilitating the discussion of this article.

Goal of this Course: This course focuses on information systems (IS) research and the nature of the discipline. We start by looking at the nature of the field as shown by IS journals, conferences, researchers and institutions. This is then followed by a critical examination and evaluation of contemporary IS research on a variety of topics. The idea is to give you a broad understanding of the IS field as a whole.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

Have a good knowledge and understanding of a broad array of research topics and themes within the field of information systems (Capability 1)
Have a good knowledge and understanding of information systems research and the process by which that research is produced. (Capability 1, 2 and 3)
Gain competence in critiquing IS research articles published in some of the leading academic journals and conference proceedings (Capability 1, 2, 5.1, 5.2 and 6)
Gain competence in critical thinking, and analysis and synthesis of academic sources (Capability 1, 2, 4.1 and 4.2)
Gain competence in verbally presenting arguments in an academic fashion (Capability 1, 2, 4.1, 4.3 and 5.1)
Learn how to write a literature review on an IS research topic (Capability 1, 2, 4.2, 4.3 and 5.1)

Assessments

Assessment Type	Percentage	Classification
Paper Summaries	15%	Individual Coursework
Class Participation	20%	Individual Coursework
Assignment 1	25%	Individual Coursework
Assignment 2	40%	Individual Coursework
4 types	100%

Assessment Type	Learning Outcome Addressed
	1	2	3	4	5	6
Paper Summaries
Class Participation
Assignment 1
Assignment 2

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard [15] point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect [3] hours of lectures, 7 hours of reading and work on assignments.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required at lectures to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be not available as recordings as the course is organized as a seminar, and not as a series of lectures.
The course will not include live online events.
The activities for the course are scheduled during the standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

There is no textbook as such for this course, because all the readings are articles from journals. However, students are expected to read more widely including additional articles from any recognised journal. Many useful citations can also be obtained from the AIS Digital Library, the ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, Google Scholar and other bibliographic databases such as ABI/Inform, Science Direct or the Emerald Library. Most of these libraries and databases are available online from the University of Auckland Library. You should be familiar with accessing these digital resources.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

As student feedback has been very positive in recent years, only minor adjustments will be made for the forthcoming year. The changes are mostly to encourage good student participation.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Capability 1:	Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2:	Critical Thinking
Capability 3:	Solution Seeking
Capability 4:	Communication and Engagement
Capability 5:	Independence and Integrity
Capability 6:	Social and Environmental Responsibilities

INFOSYS 720 : Information Systems Research

Business and Economics

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)