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SIG TECH Overview

SIG TECH – the special interest group on technology to enact change – is a joint venture between the Workshop on Information Technologies and Systems (WITS) and AIS.

The goal of the SIG is to showcase and grow research related to designing, modifying, or constructing technology-artifacts to enact change by addressing complex business problems or tackling pressing societal issues. In the Information Systems (IS) field, technical research has traditionally complemented the behavioral and economics perspectives by emphasizing research related to the design and deployment of novel IT artifacts. Examples of research genres and methods of technical inquiry in IS include design science, computational design, IS data science, and design-oriented analytical modeling. Such technical research is crucial to the IS field’s socio-technical axis of cohesion. At a time when many fields are studying “technology and managerial implications” (e.g., OB, Strategy, Marketing, OM), design artifacts and prescriptive knowledge claims are an important differentiator for IS. In the age of Big Tech, we need SIG TECH.

Prior to SIG TECH, there were no AIS SIGs that focused exclusively on technical IS research. The closest ICIS-related “home” for such research is the annual WITS conference, which happens annually right after ICIS. WITS was established in 1991 by the technical IS community to “encourage research that can change the way information technology functions (e.g., by designing, modifying, or constructing systems) so that they can better solve real-world problems.” See more on the WITS philosophy here.

WITS is home to 25-30 SEs and AEs from the top 4 IS journals, focused on technical IS research.

SIG TECH Events

Inaugural AIS SIG TECH Workshop @ ICIS 2025

Time: Wednesday, December 17, 2025 from 1:00-6:00pm
Venue: ICIS Presentation Room TBD

Agenda

Time	Description
1:00 - 1:15pm	Opening Remarks and Welcome SIG TECH and WITS Officers discuss the goals for SIG TECH
1:15 - 2:30pm	Best of WITS Paper presentations from WITS 2025 Best Paper nominees 4-5 presentations (20 or 15 minutes each including Q&A)
2:30 - 2:45pm	Break (coffee and light snacks)
2:45 - 4:00pm	Proto-Prototypes A first look at some of the WITS prototype presentations 6-10 presentations from WITS 2024, 2025, INFORMS Design Science Award, etc. (8-10 minutes each including Q&A)
4:00 - 4:15pm	Break (coffee and light snacks)
4:15 - 5:45pm	Panel: “Technology, Design, and Information Systems” The premise for the panel is to discuss (hopefully in a fun, provocative manner) "the future of IS in a digitally transformed AI-enabled world where most (if not all) research involves IT artifacts". Ideally, we would like the panel to have strong representation from EICs and AIS presidents, and the audience to have strong representation from ICIS/WITS for a vibrant discussion. Panelists: Andrew Burton-Jones, Past MISQ EIC, Past AIS President, WITS PC Sue Brown, Current MISQ EIC, Past Dept. IS Chair Dorothy Leidner, Past JAIS EIC, Current AIS President Suprateek Sarker, Current ISR EIC, Past JAIS EIC, Past AIS President Moderator: Ahmed Abbasi
5:45 - 6:00pm	Closing Remarks
6:00 - 6:30pm	WITS Board Meets with AIS President Dorothy Leidner