Concept Proposal: Establishing ISResearcher.com as a Global Visibility Network for Emerging IS Scholars

1. Background & Motivation

One of the greatest privileges in a research career is having people you can openly exchange ideas with, especially those whose strengths complement your weaknesses. That kind of intellectual partnership is rare, and it’s a gift worth cherishing.

Doctoral students in Information Systems often conduct high-potential research that remains invisible until formal publication. Traditional academic pathways offer limited early-stage visibility, and networking is fragmented across institutions and conferences. As a result, PhD students miss opportunities for early collaboration, recognition, and academic identity building.

2. Objective

This initiative proposes the creation of ISResearcher.com – PhD Circle, a peer-led academic visibility and collaboration network designed to:

• Showcase ongoing doctoral research prior to publication.
• Connect IS PhD students globally beyond institutional and regional boundaries.
• Create a structured platform for CFP alerts, dissertation support, and co-author networking.

3. Core Activities

The community will operate through three high-impact mechanisms:

1. Research Visibility & Scholar Spotlight Program
   Weekly features of PhD students and their research areas on ISResearcher.com and academic networks (e.g., LinkedIn), enhancing academic branding and digital presence.
2. Collaborative Support Network
   Shared repository for CFPs, research templates, dissertation guides, and peer-review requests, fostering mutual academic support.
3. Conference-Driven Cohort Formation
   Launch at ICIS through a PhD networking meet-up, forming the founding cohort of ISResearcher.com scholars.

4. Expected Impact

• Early-stage research recognition outside dissertation committees.
• Formation of long-term peer collaboration clusters for conference submissions and journal papers.
• Increased academic confidence and visibility among doctoral researchers entering the job market.

5. Long-Term Vision

To develop ISResearcher.com into a recognized hub for emerging IS scholarship, capable of hosting:

• PhD feature archives indexed by research themes
• Collaborative writing circles and theory development clusters
• Doctoral research showcases aligned with ICIS, AMCIS, ECIS, and HICSS

6. Call to Participate

We invite ICIS 2025 PhD attendees and doctoral consortium participants to join as the founding network of ISResearcher.com — positioning themselves not only as researchers but as visible scholars contributing to the collective identity of the next generation of Information Systems academics.