Freelisting: A Research Guide for Information Systems Researchers

Freelisting is a widely used ethnographic data elicitation and analysis technique that can help researchers quickly and systematically collect and quantify qualitative cultural data. The paper discusses the value of freelisting for IS researchers who conduct qualitative and/or quantitative research. Specifically, the paper provides an overview of freelisting; examines how prior research has used freelisting; gives step-by-step instructions about how to collect, analyze, and present freelist data; and describes the benefits of freelisting in the context of IS research. The following items are explained in detail: (1) how to understand when freelisting can be an appropriate choice; (2) the different types of freelists; (3) how to focus freelists on a specific phenomenon; (4) how to analyze freelists; and (5) how to triangulate freelist data. Additionally, the paper details seven ways IS researchers can benefit from using freelisting: (1) creating culturally salient surveys; (2) revisiting or generating new field-specific theories; (3) enhancing a mixed-method research design; (4) uncovering information about cultural similarities and differences in intracultural and cross-cultural research designs; (5) consciously considering the importance of context; (6) developing more robust quantitative analysis techniques; and (7) eliciting culturally relevant data about development or refinement of technology in applied settings.