Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Information Systems Research: A Case Study1
Authors: Kaplan, Bonnie; Duchon, Dennis
Journal: MIS Quarterly (1988)
DOI: 10.2307/249133
<jats:p>This article reports how quantitative and qualitative methods were combined in a longitudinal multidisciplinary study of interrelationships between perceptions of work and a computer information system. The article describes the problems and contributions stemming from different research perspectives and methodological approaches. It illustrates four methodological points: (1) the value of combining qualitative and quantitative methods; (2) the need for context-specific measures of job characteristics rather than exclusive reliance on standard context-independent instruments; (3) the importance of process measures when evaluating information systems; and (4) the need to explore the necessary relationships between a computer system and the perceptions of its users, rather than unidirectional assessment of computer system impacts on users or of users characteristics on computer system implementation.</jats:p> <jats:p>Despite the normative nature of these points, the most important conclusion is the desirability for a variety of approaches to studying information systems. No one approach to information systems research can provide the richness that information systems, as a d…