Information Systems researchers frequently face
quandaries in their professional lives. We present the results of a
study of academic IS researchers that assesses their judgments and
the prevalence of 29 questionable research-related behaviors. We
find that the focus and stages of researchers’ careers influence
their judgments of these behaviors. Membership in the Association
for Information Systems (AIS) and adherence to the AIS Code of
Research Conduct are also associated with IS researchers’ judgments.
There is strong evidence to suggest that IS researchers expect to
engage in questionable behaviors more in the future than they report
having done in the past. As a result of the study, we recommend that
the IS community revisit the AIS Code of Research Conduct on a
regular basis and take active steps to both educate its members on
professional normative standards and to uphold the standards of our
community.
Keywords: Normative standards, information systems research,
code of research conduct, survey