SIG Data Inaugural Workshop at ICIS 2026 in Lisbon

Sunday, 13 December 2026 

SIG Data Inaugural Workshop

The SIG Data Inaugural Workshop will bring together researchers interested in data as a phenomenon in its own right for an afternoon of conversation, connection, and community building alongside ICIS 2026 in Lisbon. 

The workshop will provide a space to take stock of data research in information systems, explore emerging questions and opportunities, and consider where the field might go next. The program combines interactive community-building activities, discussions about the current landscape of data studies in IS, and a forward-looking panel with leading scholars reflecting on the next decade of data research. Throughout the afternoon, participants will have opportunities to meet others working on related topics, exchange perspectives, identify shared interests, and help shape the developing SIG Data community.

The main workshop will take place on Sunday, 13 December 2026, from 13:00–16:00 at the Lisbon Congress Centre, followed by an optional Idea Development Workshop from 16:00–17:00.

To attend, select the SIG Data Inaugural Workshop when registering for ICIS 2026. There is no fee to participate in the workshop.

Whether you are already working centrally on data or are beginning to explore data-related questions in your research, we warmly invite you to join us for the first SIG Data workshop and help shape the future of the community.

MAIN PROGRAM

13:00–13:20 | Welcome and Annual Celebration

Welcome to the inaugural SIG Data Workshop, introduction to the SIG and its leadership, and a brief celebration of the community’s first year. A short welcome and perspective from our workshop sponsor.

13:20–14:00 | Mapping the SIG Data Community
An interactive community-mapping activity designed to help participants discover others working on related questions and make new connections. Participants will create short introductions, organize themselves around shared interests, and meet researchers both within and beyond their immediate research clusters.

14:00–14:30 | Data Studies in IS: Taking Stock and Opening the Conversation
An interactive session taking stock of where research on data currently sits within information systems and opening a broader conversation about what we study, what may be missing, and where new opportunities for data research might lie.

14:30–15:45 | Data Studies at the Frontier: Anticipating the Next Decade of Data Research in Information Systems
A forward-looking panel bringing together leading scholars representing different perspectives on data research. Following brief opening reflections, the session will open into a conversation with workshop participants about important questions, emerging phenomena, and promising directions for the next decade of data research in IS. Panelists: Natalia Levina, Andrew Burton-Jones, Kalle Lyytinen, Christine Legner, and Margunn Aanestad

15:45–16:00 | Break

IDEA DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

16:00–17:00 | SIG Data Idea Development Workshop

The optional Idea Development Workshop is designed specifically for research ideas that are still at an early and exploratory stage. Participants will submit an extended abstract in advance and will be grouped with a small number of researchers working on related topics. Rather than presenting their abstracts, participants will use the session to discuss their ideas, receive constructive feedback, explore alternative directions, and identify possible next steps.

To support open and exploratory discussion, submitted abstracts will be circulated only within each participant’s small discussion group. Submit your abstract to the Idea Development Workshop here by 30 September 2026.