Leveraging Data Analytics for Behavioral Research

Behavioral research in information systems employing quantitative methods has traditionally relied on mainly survey-based approaches to gather subjective user data. With new advances in technology such as mobile computing, wearable devices, and social media, along with computational capabilities, organizations are in a position to leverage objective data in addressing IT issues typically addressed in behavioral research. In this paper, we propose a framework for envisioning how data analytics may be leveraged in conducting behavioral research. Particularly, the framework is explained using examples from extant research along two broad avenues, namely ‘data analytics for data generation’ and ‘data analytics for model generation.’ The article also serves as an introduction to the special issue of the Information Systems Frontiers (ISF) journal on the topic of ‘Data Analytics in Behavioral Research.’