Information systems: an overview of the scientific research between 1990 and 2003

Abstract

This article presents an assessment of the scientific research developed in Brazil in the field of Information Systems. It evaluates the state of the art of the field analyzing the contents, strategies, and methodologies of 343 articles published in academic journals of Administration between 1990 and 2003. There were evidence that: first, during this period, a significant reduction in the proportion of theoretical essays publishedwas observed; second, the dominant strategy was the exploratory research; third, survey research and case studies were the most important research methodologies; and, fourth, Information Systems Management was the predominant category of the published papers. The quality assessment of the papers published between 1990 and 1997 showed several methodological weaknesses. Some actions to improve methodological consistency and relevance are suggested to the academic community of Information Systems to consolidate the research in the field.