Rethinking Information Systems research methods with Heidegger’s ontology

IS research is to some extent driven by practitioner concerns. Both practitioners and .Information Systems (IS) research has been dominated by the Cartesian worldview of duality. This has had the effect of narrowing the range of research questions addressed and focusing mainstream research on the application of scientific research methods. Heidegger’s ontology gives us an alternative view of the reality of human life. His analysis of tools in use (which he labels equipment) is of particular interest for IS research. His concept of equipment can be directly applied to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) by both practitioners and researchers. The paper outlines some of the implications of this step for IS researchers