Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
9-2012
Abstract
In “Generalizing Generalizability in Information Systems Research,” Lee and Baskerville (2003) try to clarify generalization and classify it into four types. Unfortunately, their account is problematic. We propose repairs. Central among these is our balance-of-evidence argument that we should adopt the view that Hume’s problem of induction has a solution, even if we do not know what it is. We build upon this by proposing an alternative classification of induction. There are five types of generalization: (1) theoretical, (2) within-population, (3) cross-population, (4) contextual, and (5) temporal, with theoretical generalization being across the empirical and theoretical levels and the rest within the empirical level. Our classification also includes two kinds of inductive reasoning that do not belong to the domain of generalization. We then discuss the implications of our classification for information systems research.
Keywords
Research methodology, generalization, generalizability, induction, deduction, statistical generalization, statistical syllogism, inductive analogy, Hume’s problem of induction
Discipline
Philosophy
Research Areas
Humanities
Publication
MIS Quarterly
Volume
36
Issue
3
First Page
729
Last Page
748
ISSN
0276-7783
Identifier
10.2307/41703478
Publisher
University of Minnesota
Citation
TSANG, Eric W. K., & WILLIAMS, John N..(2012). Generalization and induction: Misconceptions, clarifications and a classification of induction. MIS Quarterly, 36(3), 729-748.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/1142
Copyright Owner and License
Publisher
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.2307/41703478