Theorizing From Contexts in Research With Digital Trace Data

Authors

Emmanuelle Vaast, McGill UniversityFollow

Abstract

Many researchers rely on digital trace data, which are organically produced by sociotechnical systems and can provide insights into new digitally related phenomena. Yet theorizing from contexts observed through digital trace data is challenging. Digital trace data are part of these contexts. For some, these contexts may be long-established but changing, while for others, they may be new but perhaps not fully unprecedented. Theorizing from contexts observed through digital trace data introduces a dilemma between staying true to these contexts and developing new theory, which can overlook key aspects of the contexts or overstate how distinctive the observations really are. Theorizing from contexts with digital trace data thus involves developing new theory that both makes sense of and transcends these contexts. This study elaborates on the challenges and opportunities associated with theorizing from contexts with digital trace data and provides guidance on how to do so. It explains how researchers can engage in probing and elucidating contexts when analyzing digital trace data. Probing contexts involves surfacing the omnibus context and identifying, scanning, and connecting the discrete contexts from which digital trace data originate. Elucidating contexts involves situating, depicting, and explaining contexts to answer contextual where, when, what, who, how, and why questions. The progression of these elucidating questions can help researchers build theory from contexts observed through digital trace data. This study illustrates this framework using three papers that rely on digital trace data and examine distinct contexts. This framework can help researchers deepen their engagement with contexts as they analyze digital trace data and provide inspiration to build new theory.

Recommended Citation

Vaast, Emmanuelle (2026) "Theorizing From Contexts in Research With Digital Trace Data," Journal of the Association for Information Systems, 27(1), 1-18.
DOI: 10.17705/1jais.00955
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol27/iss1/10

DOI

10.17705/1jais.00955