---
_id: '61875'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: 'Unintended consequences in Information Systems (IS) research are typically
    examined only after they have surfaced in practice, often treated as isolated
    instances rather than being systematically identified and understood. This reactive
    stance constrains our ability to anticipate risks, recognize emerging opportunities,
    and build cumulative insights across studies. To assess the current state of IS
    research on unintended consequences, we conducted a scoping review of literature
    in the Association for Information Systems'' Senior Scholars'' Basket of Journals.
    Our review highlights significant gaps in how unintended consequences are defined,
    theorized, and systematically compared. To address these gaps, we propose three
    foundational considerations: (1) conceptual clarity, to refine definitions and
    delineate boundaries; (2) relational configurations, to analyze the interplay
    between actors, technologies, and contexts; and (3) temporal configurations, to
    capture the evolving nature of consequences over time. Building on these dimensions,
    we introduce a set of guiding questions designed to provide shared analytical
    vocabulary rather than a prescriptive framework. These questions enable researchers
    to more systematically identify, categorize, and compare unintended consequences
    across contexts, thereby fostering theoretical precision, facilitating cross-contextual
    learning, and supporting a more anticipatory and comprehensive understanding of
    the phenomenon.'
author:
- first_name: Hind
  full_name: Benbya, Hind
  last_name: Benbya
- first_name: Franz
  full_name: Strich, Franz
  id: '122631'
  last_name: Strich
  orcid: 0000-0002-0170-9025
- first_name: Van-Hau
  full_name: Trieu, Van-Hau
  last_name: Trieu
citation:
  ama: Benbya H, Strich F, Trieu V-H. Accounting for Unintended Consequences in IS
    Research:  A Call to Action. <i>Australasian Journal of Information Systems</i>.
    2025;29. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v29.6063">10.3127/ajis.v29.6063</a>
  apa: Benbya, H., Strich, F., &#38; Trieu, V.-H. (2025). Accounting for Unintended
    Consequences in IS Research:  A Call to Action. <i>Australasian Journal of Information
    Systems</i>, <i>29</i>. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v29.6063">https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v29.6063</a>
  bibtex: '@article{Benbya_Strich_Trieu_2025, title={Accounting for Unintended Consequences
    in IS Research:  A Call to Action}, volume={29}, DOI={<a href="https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v29.6063">10.3127/ajis.v29.6063</a>},
    journal={Australasian Journal of Information Systems}, publisher={Australasian
    Association for Information Systems}, author={Benbya, Hind and Strich, Franz and
    Trieu, Van-Hau}, year={2025} }'
  chicago: Benbya, Hind, Franz Strich, and Van-Hau Trieu. “Accounting for Unintended
    Consequences in IS Research:  A Call to Action.” <i>Australasian Journal of Information
    Systems</i> 29 (2025). <a href="https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v29.6063">https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v29.6063</a>.
  ieee: 'H. Benbya, F. Strich, and V.-H. Trieu, “Accounting for Unintended Consequences
    in IS Research:  A Call to Action,” <i>Australasian Journal of Information Systems</i>,
    vol. 29, 2025, doi: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v29.6063">10.3127/ajis.v29.6063</a>.'
  mla: Benbya, Hind, et al. “Accounting for Unintended Consequences in IS Research: 
    A Call to Action.” <i>Australasian Journal of Information Systems</i>, vol. 29,
    Australasian Association for Information Systems, 2025, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v29.6063">10.3127/ajis.v29.6063</a>.
  short: H. Benbya, F. Strich, V.-H. Trieu, Australasian Journal of Information Systems
    29 (2025).
date_created: 2025-10-18T08:48:18Z
date_updated: 2025-10-18T08:49:45Z
doi: 10.3127/ajis.v29.6063
intvolume: '        29'
language:
- iso: eng
publication: Australasian Journal of Information Systems
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 1326-2238
publication_status: published
publisher: Australasian Association for Information Systems
status: public
title: 'Accounting for Unintended Consequences in IS Research:  A Call to Action'
type: journal_article
user_id: '122631'
volume: 29
year: '2025'
...