Syllabus

“As a participant in last semester’s seminar, I would highly recommend taking part in the Literature Review Seminar with a great instructor who always responds fast and detailed. In this seminar, you learn so many useful things, which you can apply in future research papers. Especially if you are interested in scientific work, you learn everything about the conduction of literature reviews and every single type that exists, including their benefits and rationale. This very complex and important area for the success of all research papers gets simplified, that after completing this seminar, you have a great overview and great knowledge about this methodology. You also see how important and helpful it is to plan every single step in advance. This knowledge helps you a lot for your Master’s thesis or other academic research papers.” [more]

Basic information

• Title: DW-Sem-M: The Literature Review Seminar
• Credits: 3 ECTS (90h)
• Degree program: Master’s in Information Systems, International Information Systems Management, and Applied Computer Science. Participation is also possible for Ph.D. students and students from other disciplines.
• Format: Two full-day sessions, followed by individual work on the review protocol and a presentation.
• Dates, rooms, and tasks: Listed on the Main page
• Registration: If you would like to participate, e-mail me.

Literature reviews are a central method in information systems research and enable diverse contributions to knowledge development. For example, influential theories such as Media Synchronicity Theory, the IT Business Value Model, and CARE Theory were published as literature reviews. At the same time, meta-analyses, as a special form of literature review, provide the opportunity to aggregate empirical evidence from multiple empirical studies, quantify biases, and derive evidence-based recommendations for practice.

Goals and learning objectives

The Literature Review Seminar focuses on the method of conducting literature reviews. The goals are to:

• Understand the methodological pluralism within the genre of literature reviews,
• Plan, and adapt the process steps to the objectives of the review,
• Discuss the quality of literature reviews across various dimensions, and
• Select appropriate software for the implementation.

During the seminar, a review protocol will be developed, i.e., a detailed plan outlining the goals and methodological implementation. The collectively developed understanding of literature reviews should be applied as appropriately as possible to the chosen topic.

The seminar is offered in an open-topic format, meaning that participants select their own topic for the review protocol.

Instructor

Gerit Wagner
Assistant Professor of Information Systems
Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg

Gerit Wagner is an assistant professor at the University of Bamberg (1). Until 2023, he held a postdoctoral fellowship at HEC Montréal, working on various literature review topics with Guy Paré. During this time, Gerit served as a teaching assistant for the literature review seminar. The seminar is offered for Ph.D. students from HEC Montréal, McGill University, Concordia University, and Université de Montréal a Québec. It brings together students from Information Systems, Organizational Behavior, International Management, Marketing, Finance, and Operations Research. Several of the review projects initiated in these seminars were published in reputable journals and conferences. The goal is to draw inspiration from this example, and to offer a literature review seminar that serves as a springboard for high-quality review papers.

Gerit is an active researcher in the field of Information Systems, with a focus on literature reviews and methodology. He regularly contributes to the scientific discourse on literature reviews, and his work has been published in journals like the Journal of Strategic Information Systems (JSIS), the Journal of Information Technology (JIT), and Information & Management (I&M). His work on the use of AI in the conduct of literature reviews was recently awarded with the JIT Best Paper Prize in 2023. Gerit has led the DFG-funded project named EPIQUALIS (Epistemological Advances Through Qualitative Literature Reviews in Information Systems Research), and currently serves as an associate editor for the Communications of the Association for Information Systems, and the International Conference on Information Systems (focusing on literature review methods). He is the lead developer for open-source literature review software such as CoLRev and BibDedupe.

Course outline

The seminar starts with two full-day sessions covering:

• Goals and steps of the review process (day 1)
• Qualities of and tools for literature reviews (day 2)

Afterwards, students develop a review protocol and present it at the end of the semester.

Grading criteria

Grading criteria for the review protocol and presentation are available here.

Teaching approach

• Open Topic Selection: We encourage students to select and develop their research topics and ideas independently. This approach fosters motivation and a sense of ownership over their learning process. By taking on challenging projects, students gain valuable experience that serves as excellent preparation for their master’s theses or even the work of a Ph.D. thesis. This autonomy not only builds confidence but also enhances critical thinking and problem-solving skills, essential for academic and professional success.

• A Setting for Critical Evaluation: Our course is designed to provide a setting where students can practice critical evaluation of research methods and contributions. By familiarizing themselves with the peer review process, students gain insights into recent methodological trends and the use of emergent open-synthesis and generative AI-supported review tools. This hands-on experience in critical evaluation not only improves their analytical skills but also prepares them for the rigorous standards of academic research and publishing.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: We are committed to creating a safe and inclusive learning environment where all students feel respected and valued. We create a positive learning atmosphere, encouraging questions and contributions from everyone. We encourage diversity and actively work to ensure that every student has equal opportunities to succeed and contribute.

• Transparent Evaluation and Improvement: Our evaluation criteria, course evaluations and improvement efforts are documented transparently. This ensures that students are aware of how their work is assessed and how the course evolves based on feedback and ongoing refinement efforts.

Materials

Slides and notebooks are available on the sub-pages.

References

Schryen, G., Wagner, G., Benlian, A., and Paré, G. (2020). “A Knowledge Development Perspective on Literature Reviews: Validation of a New Typology in the IS Field,” Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 46 (Paper 7), 134–186. doi:10.17705/1CAIS.04607

Wagner, G., Prester, J., Roche, M. P., Schryen, G., Benlian, A., Paré, G., and Templier, M. (2021). “Which Factors Affect the Scientific Impact of Review Papers in IS Research? A Scientometric Study”. Information & Management, 58(3), 103427. doi:10.1016/j.im.2021.103427

Wagner, G., Lukyanenko, R., & Paré, G. (2022). Artificial intelligence and the conduct of literature reviews. Journal of Information Technology, 37(2), 209-226. doi:10.1177/0268396221104820

Paré, G., Wagner, G., & Prester, J. (2023). How to develop and frame impactful review articles: key recommendations. Journal of Decision Systems, 1-17. doi:10.1080/12460125.2023.2197701

Wagner, G., Prester, J., & Paré, G. (2021). Exploring the boundaries and processes of digital platforms for knowledge work: A review of information systems research. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 30(4), 101694. doi:10.1016/j.jsis.2021.101694