{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T00:22:45Z","timestamp":1777854165860,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":114,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2004,9,1]],"date-time":"2004-09-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1093996800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Journal of Information Technology"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2004,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper presents a personal overview of the history of the IS discipline over the last 20 years. It highlights two particular strands of development over which there has been much controversy - the so-called paradigm wars which were an epistemological battle between positivism and interpretivism; and the related debate over a critical approach to information systems. It is argued that the battle has died down and a period of stability has emerged. But further development needs to occur, especially in the area of critical management, and the philosophy of critical realism can be a significant way forward.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1057\/palgrave.jit.2000021","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2004,8,10]],"date-time":"2004-08-10T05:17:08Z","timestamp":1092115028000},"page":"165-171","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":36,"title":["Paradigm Wars: Ceasefire Announced who Will set up the New Administration?\n                    <sup>\u2020<\/sup>"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"J","family":"Mingers","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Canterbury Business School, University of Kent, Canterbury, 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