Human-Centred Methods in Information Systems: Boundary Setting and Methodological Choice

Abstract

This paper is about determining the context and scope of an information systems study and choosing an intervention strategy based on the findings. At the core of this is a process of boundary setting, for which an approach which enables boundaries to be determined through critical participant analysis is recommended and described. Alternative potential intervention strategies are then discussed, and a description of how the choice of strategy was informed within a recent intervention is given. The paper concludes with a discussion of the findings, and a summary and critique, both theoretical and practical, of the approaches available to enhance such studies in the future.