Information Systems Research (ISR) is an author-friendly peer-reviewed journal that seeks to publish the best research in the information systems discipline. Its mission is to advance knowledge about the effective and efficient utilization of information technology by individuals, groups, organizations, society, and nations for the improvement of economic and social welfare. The journal is receptive to a wide variety of phenomena and topics related to the design, management, use, valuation, and impacts of information technologies at different levels of analysis (e.g., individuals, groups, firms, networks, societies, and nations). High-quality theoretical, empirical, design, and analytical work on any of the above topics is welcomed by the journal. The journal publishes research that examines topics from a wide range of research traditions including, but not limited to, cognitive psychology, economics, computer science, operations research, design science, organization theory, organization behavior, sociology, and strategic management. Diverse methods and research approaches are welcome. Reviews and syntheses of prior contributions to relevant topics are appropriate, provided they make significant contributions to ongoing research streams in the information systems research community.

The primary form of publication in ISR is a Research Article. Research articles make novel, innovative, and rigorous original contributions, aim to break new ground, generate substantive insights on important phenomena, and have a strong grounding in current or new theory. The journal also welcomes Research Commentaries and Research Notes. Research Commentaries are designed to provide a critical evaluation and roadmap for future research on questions of significance to the information systems community. They describe an interesting or novel perspective or phenomenon; explain why this perspective is needed and how it is missing in the current research and thinking, and present directions for further research and practice. Research Notes are shorter in length than traditional Research Articles but nonetheless make an important and original research contribution by extending well researched phenomena. ISR aims to publish papers that are domain-relevant to its readers. Papers purely focused on methodology that are more appropriate for other outlets will be considered only when they demonstrate the value of the research for the information systems community.

Editorial Process

All papers submitted to the journal are first assessed for editorial fit with ISR’s mission and standards. Papers that are aligned with the journal’s goals and standards are assigned to a Senior Editor, who is responsible for managing the review process. The Senior Editor works with an Associate Editor and reviewers, who provide feedback to authors. It is ISR’s goal to make a final determination on a paper in no more than two rounds of revision, although exceptions may occur in rare instances.

The peer review process is the foundation for “good science” that can be published in a top journal. It is also a voluntary activity that consumes significant resources in terms of scholarly time and effort. Editors, reviewers, and authors are encouraged to pay careful attention to ensuring the quality and fidelity of the process (see Editorial “On the Ethics of Peer Review,” Vol. 24, No. 1, March 2013, pp. 1–2). While reviewers typically evaluate papers along multiple criteria and there is no single recipe for a successful paper (see Editorial “On Getting a Paper Published in ISR,” Vol. 23, No. 4, December 2012, pp. 1087–1092), new authors are encouraged to circulate papers for informal feedback prior to submission to the journal. It is important that authors accurately report the provenance of papers submitted to ISR, as outlined in the submission guidelines. Authors are also encouraged to have their papers assessed for expositional clarity prior to submission.