Beyond Rigor and Relevance Towards Responsibility and Reverberation: Information Systems Research That Really Matters

This paper is an outcome of a panel discussion that was held during the 2005 International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS). The panel, titled, “IS Research that Really Matters: Beyond the IS Rigor Relevance Debate,” was organized to foster a discussion on conducting IS research that is significant, in terms of impact, and responsible to the needs of stakeholders. To this end, panel members were asked to push the debate on IS research beyond the traditional arguments of rigor and relevance in research towards IS research that reverberates and is responsible. In doing so, the panel members shared their views on the definition of significant research, who are the stakeholders of IS research and what are their needs, and how do we move the field ahead.