From fighting COVID-19 pandemic to tackling sustainable development goals: An opportunity for responsible information systems research

Highlights

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  The COVID-19 pandemic provides opportunities for IS researchers to develop new expertise in tackling grand challenges.

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  Combating the COVID-19 pandemic needs technology, information, and data-level practices.

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  Adjusting to a new normal brought by the COVID-19 pandemic needs individual, organisational, and societal level practices.

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  Digital sustainability could empower IS researchers to play a key role in tackling the sustainable development goals.

Abstract

The recent outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a significant threat to the healthy lives and well-being of billions of people worldwide. As the world begins to open up from lockdowns and enters an unprecedented state of vulnerability, or what many have called “the new normal”, it makes sense to reflect on what we have learned, revisit our fundamental assumptions, and start charting the way forward to contribute to building a sustainable world. In this essay, we argue that despite its significant damage to human lives and livelihoods, the coronavirus pandemic presents an excellent opportunity for the human family to act in solidarity and turn this crisis into an impetus to achieve the United Nation’s (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). In this article, we will highlight the six relevant themes that have evolved during the pandemic and the corresponding topics that future researchers could focus on. We conclude by issuing a call for more research attention on tackling SDG through developing the concept and practice of digital sustainability.