E-waste in Information Systems Research

Abstract

Technological advances in the Information Systems (IS) Science field require technical infrastructure, that is based on hardware and software. While different calculation models, as well as life cycle models, try their best to describe and explain the lifespan and costs of technology, the scope, nature and impacts of electronic waste (E-waste) have remained an understudied field within Information Systems Science. The majority of the studies on E-waste are mainly focused on the area of environmental sciences but very few studies are conducted within the contents of the IS field, although, major sources of E-waste are generated in this field. This study gap is basically concentrated within the scope of this research. The scope of this paper is therefore to investigate the role, characteristics and present status of E-waste research in the field of IS as well as the possible management of E-waste with respect to reducing, reusing and recycling as much as possible. This study also suggested future research on E-waste within the context of the IS field.