Exploring the Archive: A Problematization Lens for Conducting Critical IS Research

Critical IS research agendas are more important than ever if we wish to uncover the unanticipated and potentially harmful consequences of digital technologies. Developed from Michel Foucault’s late work, we introduce the problematization lens as a critical IS research strategy for exploring discursive commitments embedded in digital phenomena. The problematization lens is characterized by a genealogical approach to history and a limit attitude towards critique. Building on three analytical presumptions, we conceptualize the problematization lens and demonstrate how it can be operationalized through an illustrative case that analyzes the evolution of the Digital Productivity Assistant, MyAnalytics. The paper contributes to critical IS research by advancing the use of historical and philosophical analytical strategies, allowing researchers to explore the limits of their thinking as well as supporting the design of alternative visions for how our engagement with digital technologies may (also) be configured.