Following the MAP (Methods, Approaches, Perspectives) in Information Systems Research

Following the Methods, Approaches, Perspectives (MAP) in IS Research Information technology (IT) and systems continuously evolve and are increasingly embedded in organizational and social contexts. The grand, complex organizational, societal, and global challenges, in which IT permeates processes and systems, cannot be tackled with a single paradigmatic lens. We advocate for studying these phenomena by focusing our attention on a combination of research methods , analytic approaches, and theoretical perspectives (coined MAP). This extends past practices encouraging the use of multiple research methods (e.g., survey data or case study data), which is sometimes done without questioning the theoretical perspectives that underpin them. We use the variance-structural equation modeling-survey and systems-qualitative comparative analysis-survey multi-MAP approach to illustrate our reasoning and outline how the approach can be applied to other MAPs. We demonstrate through illustrative examples how researchers can expand their reasoning from deductive and inductive modes to an abductive reasoning process, one that alternates between theory, data, and results. Finally, we encourage researchers to be explicit and transparent in their MAP choices, whether using a single MAP or multiple MAPs. Research questions surrounding phenomena in information systems (IS) are growing more complex and less amenable to simple explanations. Although many encourage the use of multiple research methods, we go further, advocating for leveraging research methods, analytic approaches, and theoretical perspectives (coined MAP) to better examine complex IS phenomena. The use of multi-MAPs benefits from the complementarity between different theoretical perspectives, that is, variance, process and systems perspectives, and the various analytic approaches that support them in addition to multiple methods. While outlining the broader context of multi-MAP research, this research note focuses on the complementarity between the variance and systems perspectives, associated analytic approaches, and supporting research methods. We use the variance and systems multi-MAPs approach to illustrate our reasoning and outline how the approach can be applied to other MAPs. In addition, we provide researchers with guidelines that they can use to state their choice of MAP based on their research questions. Finally, we demonstrate how researchers can expand their reasoning from deductive and inductive modes to