Article Published: Micro-Randomized Trials in Information Systems Research |

Ein Titelbild für einen wissenschaftlichen Artikel mit der Überschrift „Micro-randomized trials in Information Systems research: An experimental method for advancing knowledge about our dynamic and digitalized world“, darunter drei Porträtfotos der Autorinnen und des Autors mit den Namen Mechthild Pieper, Monica Fallon und Armin Heinzl sowie ein Hinweis auf das Journal of Information Technology mit Band‑ und Heftangabe und der DOI 10.1177/02683962241280287.

In this article, Mechthild Pieper, Monica Fallon and Armin Heinzl introduce micro-randomized trials (MRTs) – a longitudinal experimental design for behavioral research — and make the case that it is especially well suited to the challenges of modern Information Systems (IS) research.

MRTs differ from conventional experiments in that each participant is randomized many times, rather than just once. This allows researchers to assess how intervention effects vary over time, across contexts, and in response to dynamically changing user states. The key takeaways of the paper are:

MRTs can be leveraged to uncover time-varying causal effects of digital interventions.
They help identify contextual and individual moderators of system effectiveness.
They draw on and improve adaptive, real-time optimization of digital services.
They support theory building about user behavior in evolving digital environments.

The paper also provides practical guidance on how to design MRT experiments and analyze MRT data in Information Systems research — from formulating research questions to handling time-dependent data.

The article has already been recognized with the 2024 AISD First Award for outstanding early-career IS research and is available with open access here.

Back