4. Qualitative research in information systems: consideration of selected theories

Qualitative researchers attempt to document observed phenomena relative to the meanings attributed to the phenomena by research participants involved in the specific incident or situation. Relatively recently, the information systems research community has responded to the call for more of an emphasis on conducting qualitative research. This paper presents three theories, Grounded Theory, Personal Construct Theory, and Narrative Inquiry, which may be considered within the qualitative perspective. In response to concerns about bias and reliability in qualitative research, data gathering techniques are described including the RepGrid technique and the Long Interview technique.