Many of those who are active within the academic field of information systems (IS) are constantly seeking a firm disciplinary basis for their endeavours. In many respects, such efforts are based upon a mistaken view of how disciplines are actually constituted, and the purposes that they serve. In many respects, it would be far more fruitful if those working within the field of IS were to accept a more fluid and contingent notion of a discipline; simultaneously recognizing the contested nature of many of the core concepts – particularly information, communication and technology. In so doing, we will be Thinking Informatically.

This paper considers the impact and role of the 'engineering' metaphor, and argues that it is time to reconsider its impact on software development practice.