Future Studies as a Reference Discipline for IS

This session will propose that future studies should be included more prominently as a portion of the accumulated knowledge in the information systems discipline.  It will also acknowledge some of the barriers that keep this from becoming implemented.  As part of this discussion, we will inform in detail regarding how future studies are relevant to information systems and provide pointers to the methodologies, journals, and some well-known contributors to the futures studies discipline.  Whether or not session participants are persuaded of the value of future studies or its appropriateness as a reference discipline for IS, we plan to increase awareness of its potential.

We mean the term “reference discipline” in the broader sense of becoming part of the fabric of the domain, rather than the narrower sense of being a field from which citations and theory are drawn.

More specifically we intend to address 5 sub-topics listed below.  Note that panel members have published in the intersection of IS and future studies as well as working in various capacities with future studies educational programs. For details click here.

1. Why is it important to add a futures studies component to IS?
2. How does future studies suggest a different mindset than traditional behavioral sciences?
3. What methods for studying the future are commonly employed?
4. What would be required to expand future studies into the IS discipline?
5. What are some possible objections to increasing the presence of futures studies in IS?