Information Systems

doi:10.1057/ejis.2012.19 The field of information systems (IS) is characterised by a plurality of positions and approaches that defy simple definitions or characterisations. One aspect that I believe many, if not most, IS scholars can agree on is that IS research aims to describe and understand the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in order to lead to better societal and organisational practices and outcomes. If this hypothesis is correct, then it raises a number of follow-on questions. How can we know what constitutes ‘better ’ rather than ‘worse ’ or, as a condition of answering this question: Can we agree on a shared view of what counts as ‘good ’ in IS? This is a difficult question which points to an extended history of discussing normative issues, that is, issues of ethics and morality, law and customs, prescriptions and proscriptions. This discourses has pervaded the IS literature from its inception. Questions of implicit and explicit norms concerning the use of information technology can be traced back t