| Authors: Baskerville, R., and Lee, A Date: 1999 Title: “Distinctions Among Different Types of Generalizing in Information Systems Research” Journal: New Information Technologies in Organizational Processes: Field Studies and Theoretical Reflections on the Future of Work Pages: 49 - 65 |
| information systems researchers, generalizability, generality, inductive generalizing, deductive generalizing, academic inductive generalizing, academic deductive generalizing, intensive research. |
| It is incorrect and even harmful that many information systems researchers typically criticize their own intensive (qualitative, interpretive, critical, and case) research as lacking "generalizability". We untangle and distinguish the numerous concepts now confounded in the single term "generalizability", which are generality, generalization, generalize, general and generalizing. These clarified terms allow us to identify four distinct forms of generalizing (everyday inductive generalizing, everyday deductive generalizing, academic inductive generalizing, and academic deductive generalizing), each of which we illustrate with an information-systems-related example. The clarified terms provide the basis for an explanation of how information systems researchers who perform intensive research may properly lay claim to generality for their research. |