The IRIS (Information Systems Research in Scandinavia) Association is a non-profit organization aiming to promote research and research education in the use, development, and management of information systems (IS) in the Nordic region, and making sure that research known in the international research community and among practitioners. The Association was formed around the annual IRIS conference which has run since 1978. The IRIS Association was formally registered in 1997. The IRIS Association also represents the Scandinavian chapter of the Association for Information Systems (AIS) serving AIS members in the Nordic region.

The IRIS Association manages the Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems (SJIS) and organizes the IRIS Conference as well as the Scandinavian Conference on Information Systems Conference (SCIS). The current president of the association is Aleksandre Asatiani (2025-2026).

Governance The IRIS Association is steered by the executive board consisting of four senior members (President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Ordinary member) and two PhD student members. The board members are elected by the members of the association present at the annual business meeting which takes place during the IRIS/SCIS conferences. Senior members are elected for a four-year term, PhD student members are elected for a two-year term. Each senior member represents one of the four IRIS countries (Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark). PhD members represent two alternating IRIS countries.

The executive board is responsible for ensuring the purpose of the association as defined by its bylaws, overseeing the IRIS/SCIS conference arrangements, appointing editorial board members of the Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems, and running the daily operations of the association.

IRIS and SCIS Conferences In 1978, the IRIS Association started holding annual conferences, and it is the oldest consecutive IS conference in the world. The initiative came from a group of Finnish computer science professors including Pentti Kerola (University of Oulu), Pertti Järvinen (Tampere University), and Eero Peltola (University of Jyväskylä), who organized the first conference in Tampere. The purpose of the conference was to create a space for Nordic scholars to discuss developments in the research on systems analysis and design and later information systems. The first nine editions of the conference were known as the Scandinavian Research Seminar on Systemeering. The current name, IRIS, was adopted in 1987. The conference is organized as an annual working seminar for Nordic researchers and PhD students. After the first few meetings in Finland, the locations now alternate between four Nordic countries: Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. Among the subjects discussed at the IRIS conferences are Digital Transformation, Emerging Technology, Business Process Management and Participatory Design.

In 2006, Judith Molka-Danielsen and her associates published a paper that identified the most prolific authors who had successfully submitted papers to IRIS. The top ten researchers were: Lars Mathiassen, Markku Nurminen, Pertti Järvinen, Carsten Sørensen, Per Flensburg, Karl Heinz Kautz, Peter Axel Nielsen, Lars Svensson, Urban Nuldén, and Ole Hanseth.

In 2010, the IRIS Association launched the Scandinavian Conference on Information Systems (SCIS), which is organized in conjunction with the IRIS conference. SCIS format resembles other major information systems conferences, focusing on a selection of more complete and rigorously reviewed research papers presented during the conference sessions. The conference proceedings are published by the electronic library of the Association for Information Systems.

In 2020-2021, two conferences IRIS43/SCIS11 (Sundsvall) and IRIS44/SCIS12 (Orkanger) were organized online due to restrictions and safety considerations brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In August 2026 the IRIS/SCIS were organized in Iceland, marking the first time the events were organized outside of the original four member countries.

The next IRIS/SCIS conference will be held near Aarhus, Denmark in August 2027.

Past Conference Locations +YearConferenceCityCountryTheme2026IRIS49/SCIS17BorgarnesIcelandIS in a Volatile World: Data, Resilience, and Emergency Preparedness2025IRIS48/SCIS16OsloNorwayChallenging Boundaries in Digitalization Research: Towards Inclusivity and Fairness2024IRIS47/SCIS15UddevallaSwedenImproving Society for ALL with IS2023IRIS46/SCIS14PorvooFinlandReflecting on the Nordic Approach to IS Research2022IRIS45/SCIS13HelsingeDenmarkWorkforce Leadership in the Age of Digital Transformation 2021IRIS44/SCIS12Orkanger (Online)NorwayLiving in a Digital World?2020IRIS43/SCIS11Sundsvall (Online)SwedenDigitalization in Times of Transition2019IRIS42/SCIS10NokiaFinlandSmart Transformation2018IRIS41/SCIS9AarhusDenmarkDigital Adaption, Disruption and Survival2017IRIS40/SCIS8HaldenNorwayChallenging Smart2016IRIS39/SCIS7LjungskileSwedenLiving in the Cloud 2015IRIS38/SCIS6OuluFinlandSystem Design for, with and by Users2014IRIS37/SCIS5RingstedDenmarkDesigning Human Technologies2013IRIS36/SCIS4GranNorwayDigital Living2012IRIS35/SCIS3SigtunaSwedenDesigning the Interactive Society2011IRIS34/SCIS2TurkuFinlandICT of Culture - Culture of ICT2010IRIS33/SCIS1RebildDenmarkEngaged Scandinavian IS Research2009IRIS32MoldeNorwayInclusive Design 2008IRIS31ÅreSwedenPublic Systems in the Future – Possibilities, Challenges and Pitfalls 2007IRIS30TampereFinlandModels, Methods, and New Messages 2006IRIS29HelsingørDenmarkParadigms Politics Paradoxes2005IRIS28KristiansandNorwayReaching Out2004IRIS27FalkenbergSwedenLearn IT, Know IT, Move IT2003IRIS26PorvooFinlandScandinavian Approach to IS Research?2002IRIS25BautahøjDenmarkNew Ways of Working2001IRIS24Ulvik in HardangerNorwayKnowledge Systems2000IRIS23UddevallaSwedenDoing IT Together1999IRIS22KeuruuFinlandEnterprise Architectures for Virtual Organisations1998IRIS21SæbyDenmarkNo Theme1997IRIS20HankøNorwaySocial Informatics1996IRIS19LökebergSwedenThe Future1995IRIS18GjernDenmarkDesign in Context1994IRIS17SyöteFinlandQuality by Diversity in Information Systems Research1993IRIS16CopenhagenDenmarkNo Theme1992IRIS15LarkollenNorwayNo Theme1991IRIS14Umeå-LövångerSwedenWhat are Our Most Important Research Questions?1990IRIS13TurkuFinlandReconstruction and Destruction of Information Systems1989IRIS12SkagenDenmarkCreativity and Systems Development1988IRIS11RørosNorwayEmpirical Research1987IRIS10TampereFinlandNo Theme19869th Scandinavian Research Seminar on SystemeeringLundSwedenQuality of Work versus Quality of Information Systems19858th Scandinavian Research Seminar on SystemeeringAarhusDenmarkNo Theme19847th Scandinavian Research Seminar on SystemeeringHelsinkiFinlandNo Theme19836th Scandinavian Research Seminar on SystemeeringØysteseNorwayHuman Perspective in Systemeering19825th Scandinavian Research Seminar on SystemeeringStockholmSwedenInformation Formalization in Organizational Contexts19814th Scandinavian Research Seminar on SystemeeringOuluFinlandNo Theme19803rd Scandinavian Research Seminar on SystemeeringSaarijärviFinlandNo Theme19792nd Scandinavian Research Seminar on SystemeeringDragsfjärdFinlandAppraisal of the PSC Model for Systemeering19781st Scandinavian Research Seminar on SystemeeringTampereFinlandNo Theme

Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems (SJIS) The Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems is a peer-reviewed journal of the IRIS Association and one of the official journals of the Association for Information Systems. Currently, SJIS is published by the electronic library of the Association for Information Systems. The journal historically focused on critical studies of information systems development and use and their impact on society. SJIS also emphasizes research methods traditionally associated with the Nordic region, such as participatory research and design science. However, the journal attracts authors and readers from around the world. Over the years, the journal has published several seminal articles on design science research, critical perspectives on information systems development, and IT strategy by prominent information systems scholars including Alan Hevner, Lucy Suchman, Juhani Iivari, and Claudio Ciborra.

The idea to create a journal connected to the IRIS Association was discussed as early as 1984 during the IRIS conference in Helsinki. The inaugural issue of SJIS was published in 1989. SJIS editorial board consists of four rotating editors representing the four IRIS countries. The editors are appointed by the IRIS executive board. The first Editor-in-Chief of the journal was Lars Mathiassen.

See also Information Systems Research International Conference on Information Systems European Conference on Information Systems University of Turku Roskilde University Tampere University

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