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Research environment

Centre for empirical research on information systems (CERIS)

Environment information

Contact

Fredrik Karlsson

Research domains

  • Humanities-Social sciences

CERIS

Centre for Empirical Research on Information Systems (CERIS) develops knowledge about the design, management and use of information systems. Practice-based research is central for us, and it is typically conducted in collaboration with companies or agencies. Researchers in CERIS employ a socio-technical perspective, which means an integrated view on emerging technologies and practices, where we focus on the following areas:

Human aspects of information security

Our research on information security focuses on its human aspects. We examine how conflicting priorities in employees’ daily work influence information security decisions and explore the role of information security culture in shaping an organisation’s security posture. Additionally, we are interested in improving the design and communication of information security policies to increase employees’ and users’ awareness of current rules and threats. To support information security managers in enhancing these areas within their organisations, we develop and design tools that support information security management systems, including both methods and software. One promising area of investigation is leveraging artificial intelligence (e.g., large language models) to improve the effectiveness of these tools. We also explore the impact of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, on information security management. Further reading can be found here.

Software development management

Our research on Software Development and Management mainly focuses on empirical studies that explore the human aspect of Software Development and Project Management, where Project Management can help automate and manage many software development activities commonly used in Agile Software Development. We have a long tradition of researching automation in the public sector, and here we research the system development process as well as how we can ensure that public values and ethical aspects are safeguarded when emerging technologies such as AI are used in decision-making. We also examine the impact of emerging technologies, such as AI, on Software Development and Management. In particular, we aim to explore how large language models (LLMs) can be used for Requirements Engineering analysis processes. Specifically, we explore the consistency when GPT models classify Natural Language Requirements. Additionally, we work towards the different uses of AI in Requirements Engineering and Agile Software Development in private and public sector. In our research, we use both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Further reading can be found here.

Informatics education

The most important research question concerns how we can deliver a high-quality informatics education. We apply teaching as research in our work on this and continuously monitor the outcomes of our education to improve it.

Improving teaching and learning is a continuous and dynamic process, just like research. The goal is to study what students have learned from the teaching methods applied. Teaching as research involves the deliberate, systematic, and reflective use of research methods to develop and implement teaching approaches that foster learning.

Areas we have focused include how to improve programming education through walkshops, how AI can be integrated into teaching, how AI can be used by teachers to enhance and streamline teaching, how to motivate students through gamification and pointsification, how to create well-functioning teams both in the classroom and online, and how to use the Community of Inquiry framework to help students learn complex theory in a short time.

Health and well-being

Our research on health and well-being focuses on values. Values have become an important concept in Information Systems (IS) research, recognizsing that technologies are not neutral but embed social, cultural, and ethical assumptions. By exploring values, we want to reveal how systems reflect what individuals, organizations, and societies prioritize and how they shape practices and outcomes. Research shows that values frequently come into conflict, making it necessary to negotiate between competing priorities during the design, implementation, and use of digital technologies.

We are studying values, value conflicts and value realisation in digital transformation of health and elderly care. Health technologies and welfare technologies highlight tensions between efficiency and patient-cantered concerns. Systems such as electronic health records or monitoring technologies are often built to increase safety and security, optimize accuracy, speed, and cost reduction, yet these goals can conflict with values of privacy, autonomy, and trust. Similarly, in the field of ICT for Development, projects are frequently driven by values of empowerment and equity, but they may unintentionally impose external market-oriented logics that clash with local practices. To address these tensions and ensure that digital systems align with locally meaningful values we often apply participatory approaches in our projects.

We are also exploring issues of inclusion and exclusion, which are central to sustainability-focused IS research. Digital platforms intended to support sustainable transformation may unintentionally reinforce existing societal inequalities—especially if they favor already dominant networks or overlook the needs and access of marginalized groups. However, these platforms also offer significant potential to advance equity and justice by amplifying underrepresented voices and fostering broader participation in decision-making processes.

By engaging explicitly with values, we aim to highlight the moral and cultural dimensions of technology and contribute to the development of systems that support more just, inclusive, and sustainable futures.

Active projects

Completed projects