Speaking from his experience as the editor-in-chief of a top journal in the information systems field, Arun Rai, a member of the FIU Business Dean’s Circle of Distinguished Research Fellows, guided FIU Business faculty members and PhD students through the fine points of successfully preparing research for publication.
From formulating the correct research problem through working through the development of compelling new insights, Rai, editor-in-chief of MIS Quarterly, shared tips on formulating the problem to develop the research question, honing in on the value proposition of the work, and delivering the paper to the most appropriate journal. “It is vital to ask why the answer to the research question will matter and which stakeholders will be impacted by the research,” he said.
Rai is “a friend and advocate of our mission, who is vested in developing our scholars,” said Karlene Cousins, chair of the Department of Information Systems and Business Analytics, in introducing Rai at the workshop in November. Rai is Regents’ Professor at the Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, holds the J. Mack Robinson Chair of IT-Enabled Process Innovation and Supply Chains and the Harkins Chair of Information Systems, and is director of the Center for Digital Innovation.
He brought real-life examples from decades as a researcher and editor, engaging in a lively discussion with faculty members and PhD students. In addressing the issue of mitigating “Type III” errors – — occurring when a researcher answers the wrong question using the right methods — Rai quoted Einstein: “The formulation of a problem is often more essential than its solution, which may be merely a matter of mathematical or experimental skill.”
Rai also urged authors to pay great attention to constructing the opening pages of the paper. “This is your chance to make a convincing case for the importance of the research question and the value proposition of the work,” he said.
The Dean’s Distinguished Research Fellow initiative promotes collaboration between FIU Business faculty and students and the world’s top scholars in pursuit of relevant and meaningful research to influence policy and best business practices. The program also aims to create a pipeline for future researchers through fostering social capital with world renowned scholars in their fields.
Also presented at the symposium were two working papers co-authored by faculty members: “Building Technology that Builds People: Design Principles for Humanistic Technologies,” co-authored by David Agogo, assistant professor of information systems and business analytics, and “The Maternity Conundrum: Can Information Technology Improve Intergenerational Health Outcomes of Mothers and of Babies,” co-authored by Min M. Chen, associate professor of information systems and business analytics.
