Mapping the Intellectual Structure of MIS, 1980-1985: A Co-Citation Analysis

This study is the second of two studies which assess the intellectual development of MIS. The present study documents the current intellectual structure of MIS research based on an author co-citation analysis. Five invisible colleges, or informal clusters of research activity, were identified (foundations; psychological approaches to MIS design and use; MIS management; organizational approaches to MIS design and use; and curriculum). When contrasted with the earlier study, these results suggest that MIS has made significant progress toward a cumulative research tradition.