Table 3.

Potentially valuable contributions of the ANT approach in a study exploring the introduction of electronic health record software

Key notion	Valuable contributions of this notion	Implications for our study	How the study would look if it was not informed by ANT
Translations	Detailed insight into the complexity of different forces at play when artefacts are introduced in a new context - this can also help to inform sampling considerations	Insight into how the software (which was designed by computer scientists) is integrated into the healthcare environment	Might be tempted to neglect the design context and examine the adoption context in isolation
Active role of objects	How objects can actively transform established practices by influencing the way human actors are associated	The software is viewed as actively transforming the way care is delivered rather than being a relatively passive piece of equipment	Software may be viewed as passive, which may lead to underestimating its influence
Analytical method and theory development	As a conceptual tool to guide the research process, frame the research questions, collect and interpret data and theorise about potential explanations	Focus on a certain technology as a case and sampling different human parties associated with it, notion of networks can help to conceptualise connections and active role of objects can help to theorise about potential outcomes	Sampling may neglect potentially important actors, may result in a limited and a-theoretical approach
Generalised symmetry	Can help investigators to resist imposing a priori differences between actors	Helps to recognise that objects can create unpredictable outputs and have agency	Prior assumptions of dualism between humans and objects may distort the analysis
Enrolment	Can help to explore how different parties/actors are enrolled into a network and how relationships are formed over time	Helps to map out interests of different parties and how the most powerful (e.g. managers) try to enrol the users in adopting the software	May not be able to capture the different effects and stages of change in detail
Flux and changing nature of reality	A tool for exploring how complex relationships between actors and effects come about through movements in the network (e.g. power relationships, social effects)	Helps to conceptualise how change is a process and context dependent	A rigid view of reality may be too simplistic and mask the complexity of change