Evolution of information systems research: Insights from topic modeling

Abstract

Information systems (IS) research has continued to consistently evolve with the transitions in the IS discipline over time. There has been a general interest in the IS discipline over time as researchers have examined various aspects such as the intellectual core, diversity, and impact of IS research. On the basis of 2962 articles published in six leading IS journals between 2003 and 2017, topic modeling using latent semantic indexing was applied to author-supplied keywords. Topics such as IS development, IT adoption, and IS usage had endured over time; topics such as e-commerce and IT outsourcing had gained momentum and then waned over time; and topics such as social media, design science, and online communities have gained momentum in recent times. Results suggest that IS research has evolved considerably over time and generally included new frontiers while serving its core strength and identity.