The Power of a Good Story or the Great Potential of Information Systems History or Some Lessons from a Heroic Journey

摘要

This paper is an essay about my journey as an information systems (IS) historian. In the paper, I briefly outline the past and the current situation with the environmental circumstances of history writing in the IS research field. I also highlight some lessons I have learned studying and applying the historical method over the past decade and a half. I do this in the context of a four-tiered research framework. I conclude that there continues to be a great need for written IS history and urge IS researchers to take upon themselves this important quest that will benefit future generations.