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The role of information systems: past, present and future

Information systems have long evolved through waves of innovation, integration, and disruption, each reshaping how information is created and used across organisations and society. From early computing to networked platforms and data-driven technologies, change has rarely been linear, instead unfolding through periods of rapid uptake followed by phases of adjustment and reconsideration. Current debates often emphasise what is new, particularly in relation to recent technological developments, but these shifts sit within longer trajectories that continue to shape how systems are designed, implemented, and used. At the same time, a strong focus on future possibilities can draw attention away from how information systems are already embedded in everyday organisational and societal contexts. This conference invites contributions that examine the role of information systems across time, drawing on insights from the past, engaging with the complexities of the present, and offering critical perspectives on how today’s developments are shaping the systems and societies of the future.

We invite full papers (completed research) and developmental papers (research-in-progress). Please follow the conference formatting template provided on the UKAIS conference page. Authors may not be named on more than 3 submitted papers. Selected full papers will be uploaded to the AIS eLibrary.

Location: School of Management, University of Bath
Conference dates: 1-2 April 2027
Conference submission deadline: 30 October 2026
Notification of acceptance: TBC
Conference Chairs: Dr Gamila Shoib, Professor Laurence Brooks, Professor Efpraxia Zamani, Dr Maria Kutar, Professor Richard Kamm, Dr Joanne Hinds, Dr Lukasz Piwek

For the Doctoral Consortium, please see the full CfP at: 2027 Doctoral Consortium – UKAIS.
Location: School of Management, University of Bath
Doctoral Consortium date: 31 March 2027
Consortium submission deadline: 11 December 2026
Notification of acceptance: TBC
Doctoral Consortium Chairs: Dr Gamila Shoib, Professor Laurence Brooks, Professor Efpraxia Zamani, Dr Maria Kutar, Professor Richard Kamm, Dr Joanne Hinds, Dr Lukasz Piwek

Full papers

Full papers of 5000-7000 words (excluding references) should document established results and will be presented according to the highest academic standards. Presentation details will be shared in the decision letters.

Developmental papers

Developmental papers of 1500-2000 words (excluding references) should document research in progress and will be presented according to the highest academic standards. UKAIS actively encourages submissions from early career researchers. The purpose of the development paper is to enable researchers to discuss their work while it is in an early stage, so comments and feedback obtained at the event can be incorporated in the final stages of the research and its write-up. Research in progress papers are not uploaded to the AIS eLibrary. Presentation details will be shared in the decision letters.

Declaration of AI use

All authors must transparently disclose any use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools at any stage of the research or manuscript preparation process, including research design, data collection or analysis, literature exploration, writing, editing, translation, or code generation. The declaration should identify the AI tool(s) used and briefly describe their role. Authors remain fully responsible for the originality, accuracy, and ethical integrity of all content, and AI tools may not be listed as authors. If no AI tools were used, authors should state: “The authors declare that no artificial intelligence tools were used at any stage of the research or preparation of this submission.”

Tracks

Confirmed track details will be available on the conference page, from June 2026.

UKAIS

The UK Academy for Information Systems aims to foster a better understanding of the Information Systems field within the UK. We provide a forum for discussing issues in IS teaching and research and lobby professional/policy bodies on behalf of our field.

Email: contactus@ukais.org

If you know of an organisation who may wish to sponsor the conference, more information can be found at: Sponsor the UKAIS Conference – UKAIS.