Futures studies in IS research

Future studies focus students’ attention on investigating the future.
Futures studies in IS presents background on futures studies overall while concentrating especially on effects of the evolution of IT in terms of new capacities and changing social structures. The point of futures studies is to develop varied understandings of what the future might bring. This allows us to exercise our judgment in selecting preferred visions, in turn allowing us to backstep what needs to be created as a precursor to a long term future, and identify actions we can take in the present more likely to lead to desired outcomes. It may include more short term forecasting, but mostly focuses on imaginitive, speculative, but focused examinations of wide ranging possibilities. Methods like scenario building and delphi studies, particular to futures studies in terms of how they might be used together with IS will also be discussed.