The Philosopher's Corner

Abstract

Theory has become critical in information systems (IS) research. Generally, empirical papers cannot be accepted for publication in IS journals unless the hypotheses or findings are grounded in theory. In this paper, I argue that IS has taken the role of theory too far, up to a point in which insisting on theory to explain observation may be costly to the advancement of IS research. It is suggested that the logic of discovery in scientific inquiry has been completely abandoned in favor of a logic of justification; that important accidental discoveries demonstrate the merit of discovery-oriented research; that the recent emergence of data science amplifies the value of discovery to theory development; and that the increasing length of empirical articles, partially as a consequence of the increasing importance of theory, may shift the limited attention of the community away from the phenomena of interest. Finally, a possible remedy for the overreliance on theory is offered to allow the IS community to open a door to discovery-oriented research that may yield long-term benefits and even strengthen its theoretical foundations.