Research in MIS—Points of Work and Reference: A Replication and Extension of the Culnan and Swanson Study

This study replicates and extends Culnan and Swanson's study 1992 of bibliographic citations in MIS and its foundational fields in order to assess the emergence of MIS as a distinct discipline. Academic researchers, particularly those endeavoring to make advances in knowledge which build upon prior research, benefit by being able to recognize cumulative research traditions. Progress toward building and MIS identity and cumulative research tradition is measured through statistical analyses of reference patterns during the past decade in ten selected journals. Four hypotheses are tested which reveal that although MIS is still less established than its referent disciplines, maturation has occurred through systematic knowledge development and the existence of a cumulative body of research.