Abstract: The paper reports on an approach to teaching a course in information technology research methodology in a doctoral program, the Doctor of Management in Information Technology (DMIT), in which research, with focus on finding innovative solutions to problems found in practice, comprises a significant part of the degree. The approach makes a contribution by preparing doctoral students, who are experienced professionals studying part-time, for dissertation research. The rationale of the DMIT and the educational objectives of the course are presented. A research process model applicable to applied research in information technology (IT) is proposed and discussed. This model accommodates scientific methods of research, including empirical, quantitative, qualitative, case study and mixed methods. The course design and pedagogical approach are described in terms of thematic areas of scholarship and practice, and intended outcomes. The paper summarizes the topics of the syllabus, including proposal formulation; research design; methods of investigation; methods of demonstrating concept; approaches to research validation; and documenting research results in the form of technical papers and the dissertation. The purpose of the paper is to share the approach followed in teaching the course, the course design, a summary of lessons learned after several offerings of the course, and ideas for further improvement.

Keywords: Research methodology, Information technology, Research process model

Download this article: JISE - Volume 18 Number 2, Page 255.pdf

Recommended Citation: Steenkamp, A. L. & McCord, S. A. (2007). Approach to Teaching Research Methodology for Information Technology. Journal of Information Systems Education, 18(2), 255-266.