A multi-disciplinary profile of IS/IT outsourcing research

Purpose: In recent years a large number of studies have appeared on information systems (IS)/information technology (IT) outsourcing related issues but scattered in a number of distantly related publishing outlets which may hamper the use of such published resources and repetition of research conducted by various researchers. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a systematic survey of the literature pertaining to research on IS/IT outsourcing. Design/methodology/approach: The research aim was accomplished by extracting information on a number of relevant variables by conducting a review of 315 articles on IS/IT outsourcing published between 1992 and 2008. Findings: The analysis is presented by listing and illustrating subject category, journals, year of publications and country, frequently published authors, productive institutions, the trend of collaborative nature (co-author analysis) of research, the impact/influence of published research; topics/research issues and utilised methods, and the challenges and limitations of existing research. Practical implications: Results of this research may have implications for both private and public sector organizations interested in outsourcing IS/IT services and applications, and various stakeholders of academic publishing (namely, researchers, journal editors, reviewers and universities) research on IS/IT outsourcing. Originality/value: The primary value of this paper lies in extending the understanding of evolution and patterns of outsourcing research.