Understanding IS Journals and What They Publish
When pursuing a PhD in Information Systems (IS) or aiming for tenure, it’s crucial to understand where to place your work. Different journals have distinct methodological preferences and reputational weight in the field. Below is a breakdown of the major IS journals, the kinds of research they tend to accept, and how they are perceived in tenure evaluations.
Top-Tier Journals for Tenure
These are the journals most often expected for tenure-track success in IS:
- MIS Quarterly (MISQ) – Flagship journal. Accepts a mix but is especially known for qualitative, process-oriented studies as well as theory-building. Case studies and ethnographies are common, though MISQ also accepts quantitative and mixed methods if the theory contribution is high.
- Information Systems Research (ISR) – Primarily quantitative and econometric. Publishes computational, survey-based, and large-scale data studies. If you are doing econometric modeling, machine learning, or simulation tied to IS, ISR is the top outlet.
- Journal of the Association for Information Systems (JAIS) – Welcomes qualitative, interpretive, design science, and experimental studies. Strong home for research that doesn’t neatly fit the econometric mold.
- Journal of Management Information Systems (JMIS) – Traditionally quantitative but more flexible than ISR. Known for survey research, modeling, and emerging computational methods.
👉 For tenure, these four (MISQ, ISR, JAIS, JMIS) are the “big four” in IS.
Other Leading IS Journals
These outlets are respected but have more specific niches:
- Information Systems Journal (ISJ) – Strong home for qualitative research: ethnography, interpretive case studies, and rich contextual work. Less econometric, more narrative and deep description.
- Journal of Strategic Information Systems (JSIS) – Strategy-focused. Looks at IS through the lens of organizational and competitive strategy.
- Information & Organization (I+O) – Based out of Hawaii, publishes organizational-level work only. Deep, theory-driven, often qualitative or interpretive.
- Journal of Information Technology (JIT) – A leading European journal. Publishes action research, qualitative studies, surveys, and is practitioner-oriented. Strong ties to European IS scholars.
- European Journal of Information Systems (EJIS) – Similar to JIT. Often qualitative, action research, survey-based, and positioned as both academic and practitioner-friendly.
- Decision Support Systems (DSS) – Originally focused on DSS tools, now broader. Heavily quantitative; more applied than ISR.
- Information & Management (I&M) – Publishes across quantitative and qualitative methods, with a managerial and practical orientation.
Disciplinary Boundaries
- Management Science – Not strictly IS, but IS work gets in if framed broadly as management/economics. Very quantitative.
- IEEE / ACM Journals – More engineering/technical. For IS scholars, these only count when positioned as design or technical contributions.
| Journal | Methodological Orientation | Focus / Notes | Tenure Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| MISQ (MIS Quarterly) | Qualitative, Interpretive, Mixed | Flagship; theory-building, ethnography, case studies, also accepts quant if contribution is high | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Essential) |
| ISR (Information Systems Research) | Quantitative, Econometric, Computational | Surveys, econometrics, simulations, big data, modeling | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Essential) |
| JAIS (Journal of the Association for IS) | Qualitative, Design Science, Experimental, Interpretive | Individual-level, design science, experimental IS studies | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Essential) |
| JMIS (Journal of Management Information Systems) | Mostly Quantitative | Surveys, modeling, some mixed-methods | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Essential) |
| ISJ (Information Systems Journal) | Qualitative, Interpretive | Ethnography, rich case studies | ⭐⭐⭐ (Strong, esp. for qual) |
| JSIS (Journal of Strategic IS) | Mixed (Strategy only) | IS in strategy, organizational competitiveness | ⭐⭐ (Niche but respected) |
| I+O (Information & Organization) | Qualitative, Org-Level Only | Focus on organizational theory (Hawaii-based) | ⭐⭐ (Specialized) |
| JIT (Journal of Information Technology) | Qualitative, Action Research, Surveys | European, practitioner-oriented | ⭐⭐ (Respected in EU) |
| EJIS (European J. of IS) | Qualitative, Action Research, Surveys | European, practitioner-oriented | ⭐⭐ (Respected in EU) |
| DSS (Decision Support Systems) | Quantitative, Applied | DSS, decision modeling, applied quant studies | ⭐⭐ (Good, but below Big 4) |
| I&M (Information & Management) | Mixed (Quant & Qual) | Managerial focus, practical IS | ⭐⭐ (Mid-level, broad) |
| Management Science | Quantitative, Econometric | Not IS-specific; management/econ framing needed | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Top-tier across fields) |
| IEEE / ACM IS-related | Engineering/Technical | More CS/engineering; counts if IS theory/design angle is clear | ⭐⭐ (Depends on institution) |
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