Different types of information systems – including their engineering aspects and efforts – have become indispensable in various domains over the last years and decades. Hospital information systems, car configurators, or business intelligence frameworks are examples in this context. However, with the rise of these systems, the complexity to engineer, develop, and use them has also been increasing by orders of magnitude. More and more features are demanded by users and emerging trends like machine learning or immersive analytics have to be integrated by vendors to be competitive and up-to-date with the market. The increasing complexity of these systems (wrt. engineering, development, and usage) is therefore a topic that has garnered recent attention in different research fields.
Therefore, on the one hand, researchers try to mitigate the complexities of the underlying code basis and the engineering procedure. In this context, the utilization of concepts from cognitive psychology and neuroscience are increasingly deployed. The question emerges how developers can be supported in a cognitively effective way when understanding, creating and maintaining source code. On the other hand, researchers address the usability of the end users and citizen developers. In this vein, different trends have been proposed. Three of them are currently dominant:
First, techniques are used to create better user interfaces or improve existing ones. Digital nudging is such a strategy to achieve better user interfaces. Second, information systems are combined with new interface controllers beyond the keyboard and mouse. For example, augmented reality glasses are utilized for the immersive use of features of the information systems. Third, methods from psychology and neuroscience are utilized to measure biofeedback when using information systems. Measured data, in turn, is increasingly investigated to learn more about neuroscience procedures while information systems are experienced, used, and developed. In this context, the field of software engineering in general, is increasingly addressed by researchers from a neuroscience perspective. Thus, methods from neuroscience and cognitive psychology that are utilized for the improvement of software engineering processes are also of interest.
This Research Topic therefore provides the opportunity to present original research on neuroscience aspects when using, as well as supporting, the engineering procedure of information systems. We welcome contributions that address (but are not limited to) the following aspects, topics, and issues:
- Empirical studies that measure biofeedback by the use of sensors, e.g., electrodermal activity (EDA), heart rate, heart rate variability, electroencephalogram (EEG), eye tracking during information system use or development
- Empirical studies that measure biofeedback by the use of questionnaires, e.g., stress or cognitive load measurement during information system use or development
- Investigations at the intersection of cognitive psychology, neuroscience and information systems (engineering)
- Usage of the virtual reality continuum in the context of information systems (including the engineering procedure) and aspects on the perception when utilizing the continuum
- Development of metrics that are based on cognitive psychology and neuroscience, which indicate the complexity of aspects when using and developing information systems or learning more about software engineering processes
- Addressing the question whether there exists an information system literacy (including literacy for software engineering processes)
- Investigations on cognitive patterns when using and developing information systems or when carrying out software engineering tasks
- Investigations on existing theories in the field of information systems (engineering) and software engineering in combination with neuroscience and cognitive psychology. For example, how can IS theories like the technology acceptance model be combined with the field of neuroscience and cognitive psychology?
- Investigations on the cognitive or affective state of users or developers when using or developing information systems respectively (also including software engineering tasks)
- Investigations in relation with neuroscience and cognitive psychology with a particular focus on mobile information systems and mobile application engineering
Different types of information systems – including their engineering aspects and efforts – have become indispensable in various domains over the last years and decades. Hospital information systems, car configurators, or business intelligence frameworks are examples in this context. However, with the rise of these systems, the complexity to engineer, develop, and use them has also been increasing by orders of magnitude. More and more features are demanded by users and emerging trends like machine learning or immersive analytics have to be integrated by vendors to be competitive and up-to-date with the market. The increasing complexity of these systems (wrt. engineering, development, and usage) is therefore a topic that has garnered recent attention in different research fields.
Therefore, on the one hand, researchers try to mitigate the complexities of the underlying code basis and the engineering procedure. In this context, the utilization of concepts from cognitive psychology and neuroscience are increasingly deployed. The question emerges how developers can be supported in a cognitively effective way when understanding, creating and maintaining source code. On the other hand, researchers address the usability of the end users and citizen developers. In this vein, different trends have been proposed. Three of them are currently dominant:
First, techniques are used to create better user interfaces or improve existing ones. Digital nudging is such a strategy to achieve better user interfaces. Second, information systems are combined with new interface controllers beyond the keyboard and mouse. For example, augmented reality glasses are utilized for the immersive use of features of the information systems. Third, methods from psychology and neuroscience are utilized to measure biofeedback when using information systems. Measured data, in turn, is increasingly investigated to learn more about neuroscience procedures while information systems are experienced, used, and developed. In this context, the field of software engineering in general, is increasingly addressed by researchers from a neuroscience perspective. Thus, methods from neuroscience and cognitive psychology that are utilized for the improvement of software engineering processes are also of interest.
This Research Topic therefore provides the opportunity to present original research on neuroscience aspects when using, as well as supporting, the engineering procedure of information systems. We welcome contributions that address (but are not limited to) the following aspects, topics, and issues:
- Empirical studies that measure biofeedback by the use of sensors, e.g., electrodermal activity (EDA), heart rate, heart rate variability, electroencephalogram (EEG), eye tracking during information system use or development
- Empirical studies that measure biofeedback by the use of questionnaires, e.g., stress or cognitive load measurement during information system use or development
- Investigations at the intersection of cognitive psychology, neuroscience and information systems (engineering)
- Usage of the virtual reality continuum in the context of information systems (including the engineering procedure) and aspects on the perception when utilizing the continuum
- Development of metrics that are based on cognitive psychology and neuroscience, which indicate the complexity of aspects when using and developing information systems or learning more about software engineering processes
- Addressing the question whether there exists an information system literacy (including literacy for software engineering processes)
- Investigations on cognitive patterns when using and developing information systems or when carrying out software engineering tasks
- Investigations on existing theories in the field of information systems (engineering) and software engineering in combination with neuroscience and cognitive psychology. For example, how can IS theories like the technology acceptance model be combined with the field of neuroscience and cognitive psychology?
- Investigations on the cognitive or affective state of users or developers when using or developing information systems respectively (also including software engineering tasks)
- Investigations in relation with neuroscience and cognitive psychology with a particular focus on mobile information systems and mobile application engineering
