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Evidence is never neutral: Research philosophy, digital transformation, and project decision-making in a UK local authority

Maxwell Olokundun

Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases2026https://doi.org/10.1177/20438869261436826article
AJG 1
Weight
0.50

What the paper says

This case study examines how various types of evidence influence governance, accountability, and success metrics in public sector digital transformation. This case study, situated within a UK local authority implementing a multi-year digital modernisation initiative, explores the conflict between performance dashboards, system analytics, and contractual reporting, contrasted with frontline experiences, digital exclusion, and social effect. Ongoing schedule delays and a significant service disruption reveal the shortcomings of solely depending on quantitative performance measurements. The story illustrates that foundational ideas regarding evidence actually impact decisions in technological governance, rather than merely portraying research philosophy as an abstract notion. It encourages students to critically analyse the construction, legitimisation, and interpretation of digital performance within intricate socio-technical contexts, as well as how organisations reconcile quantifiable control with experiential reality in determining project success.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/20438869261436826

Or copy a formatted citation

@article{maxwell2026,
  title        = {{Evidence is never neutral: Research philosophy, digital transformation, and project decision-making in a UK local authority}},
  author       = {Maxwell Olokundun},
  journal      = {Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/20438869261436826},
}

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Evidence is never neutral: Research philosophy, digital transformation, and project decision-making in a UK local authority

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.