As a relatively recent discipline, IS draws on a range of reference disciplines. The major sub-disciplines are in turn focused in a different set of sub-disciplines (Robinson and Richardson, 1999). The primary reference disciplines have been identified as computer science, management science, organisational science, cognitive science and economics. The secondary reference disciplines are sociology, information science, linguistics, anthropology, ergonomics and systems science (Khazanchi and Munkvold, 2000). This implies that research from an IS perspective draws on a wide range of domains of study, strategies and methods (Marble, 2000; Robinson and Richardson, 1999). Because of this, IS is often criticised for its diversity and fragmentation, which are seen as precluding an ability to become a mature discipline with a cumulative research tradition (Robinson and Richardson, 1999).

At the same time IS has been acknowledged as having ‘subject matter that is so central to contemporary society’ (Robinson and Richardson, 1999, p. 3) that is subjected to continuous change (O’Donovan and Roode, 2002). While there is pressure for IS to consolidate, this does not imply that IS research should be static, but rather it should be open to innovative ways of doing research. The application of a feminist epistemology, as demonstrated in this paper, is one example. The aim in adopting this approach is not to offer an alternative epistemology but to show that, in IS gender research, a feminist approach can be beneficially applied (Adam and Richardson, 2001).

In most Western countries women remain a minority in the IT industry (Trauth et al., 2003). UK women were found to be a minority in all areas of the IT industry in the country (Panteli et al., 1999). In European countries only 25% of those working in the industry are women, while in the United States the figure has been reported as being as low as 20% (Ahuja, 2002). All indications are that the situation in Australia follows these patterns. In contrast to other areas within science and technology such as engineering, where numbers of women studying and working are increasing, the number of women studying and entering the IS/IT industry is actually declining (The Women in Science Engineering and Technology Advisory Group, 1995).

Little research has been done within the IS/IT industry that has explored the experience of women and how it can be used to address the continuing problem of gender imbalance. ‘Most research on women in the information technology (IT) industry has been concerned with practical questions: measuring disadvantage, establishing causes, and attempting to put in place policies and strategies that will rectify the situation’ (Pringle et al., 2000).

Much of the literature considering gender issues in IS/IT is framed within a positivist philosophy and uses quantitative methods to examine the research problem (Ahuja, 2002; Igbaria and Baroudi, 1995; Holmes, 1998; Khazanchi, 1995; Truman and Baroudi, 1994; Baroudi and Igbaria, 1994; Frenkel, 1991). While this research identifies the extent of the gender imbalance, it is largely based on dichotomising IT professionals on the basis of biological sex. This means that females are seen as a stereotypical group and individual differences are not considered (Adam et al., 2002). Accordingly, the effectiveness of this approach is limited as it precludes the opportunity to gain any insight into the personal experiences of women who have become IS professionals and subsequently continue to successfully work in the industry.

There is little evidence of IS gender-focused research based on a subjectivist approach using qualitative methods (Pringle et al., 2000; O’Neill and Walker, 2001; von Hellens et al., 2001; Trauth, 2002; Webb, 2002). Within these examples, while Trauth (2002) and Webb (2002) are explicitly presented as feminist research, the work reported by Pringle et al. (2000) implicitly adopted this stance. Subjectivist research enables the researcher to explore the research problem in greater detail from the perspective of the research subject. While subjectivist research cannot usually be easily generalised to the wider community it can, and does, have the capacity to highlight areas and issues that may benefit from further investigation and discussion.

A fundamental aspect of feminist research is that it is conducted for women rather than on women (Reinharz, 1992; Reynolds, 1993). It involves a broad and dynamic theory within which numerous positions exist (Millen, 1997). Central to feminist research are goals of social change and improved representation (Humphries, 1997). It must also be believed that women have been oppressed and not treated fairly, and that there is action that can be taken (Grimshaw, 1986). Further, the role of the researcher and the researcher’s rapport and familiarity with the participant is also important in feminist research (Reinharz, 1992). Feminist research lends itself to the use of qualitative methods enabling the researcher to explore each woman’s individual perspective. While quantitative research methods and a feminist epistemology are not mutually exclusive it would be uncommon to find quantitative methods, with its focus on hard, numerical data used for feminist research (Stanley, 1990; Neuman, 2000).

Feminist research often uses case studies to analyse change in a situation over a period of time, the significance of a situation for the future and the connections between components of a situation (Reinharz, 1992). The use of semi-structured interviewing in feminist research is significant. It enables the use of open questions and provides the capacity to encourage participants to give lengthy and full responses in their own words. ‘Feminist researchers find interviewing appealing for reasons over and above the assets noted by social scientists who defend qualitative methods against positivist criticism’ (Reinharz, 1992, p. 19). Semi-structured interviews are seen as offering access to people’s ideas, thoughts, and memories and real life experiences in their own words rather than the words of the researcher (Reinharz, 1992; Dallimore, 2000). To achieve this outcome it is important that considerable rapport is developed between the researcher and the participant, as this is a fundamental prerequisite in feminist research.

From this background, the research presented in this paper draws on a feminist epistemology to demonstrate that it is an appropriate approach in IS gender research. In so doing it is acknowledged that there is gender imbalance in information systems workplaces and it is likely that there are factors at work that inhibit or reduce the likelihood that women will participate in equal numbers with men. It may be that oppression exists and this has contributed to the inequality. Further, it is recognised that, due to the exploratory nature of the research, no immediate change is likely to occur as a result of it. It may, however, lead to further research and subsequent actions to effect change and therefore meets yet another criterion in adding support for a feminist stance. When these conditions apply they represent the subtle distinction between a feminist epistemology and a subjectivist approach.

The aim of the research is to disclose common characteristics of women currently working within the industry and to consider the factors that impact on women moving to, or being placed in, IS/IT positions. To address this objective the following questions are posed: