Profiling adoption, acceptance and diffusion research in the information systems discipline

The substantial level of investigative activity to date into information systems and technology acceptance and diffusion has witnessed the use of a wide range of exploratory techniques examining many different systems and technologies in countless different contexts. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and systematic review of the literature pertaining to such adoption and diffusion issues in order to ascertain the current "state of play" of the field along a number dimensions. Information on a series of variables were extracted after conducting a review of 345 articles on Innovation adoption, acceptance and diffusion, published in 19 peer reviewed journals between 1985 and 2007. Findings suggest that the positivist paradigm, empirical and quantitative research, the survey method and TAM theory was used predominantly when investigating the topics of adoption and diffusion of technology. Results of this research may have implications for researchers, journal editors, reviewers and universities.