User acceptance of technology has been an important field of study for over two decades
now. Although many models have been proposed to explain and predict the use of a system,
the Technology Acceptance Model has been the only one which has captured the most
attention of the Information Systems community. Thus, it is essential for anyone willing to
study user acceptance of technology to have an understanding of the Technology Acceptance
Model. This paper provides a historical overview of the Technology Acceptance Model
(TAM) by summarizing the evolution of TAM, its key applications, extensions, limitations,
and criticisms from a selective list of published articles on the model. Current observations
indicate that although TAM is a highly cited model, researchers share mixed opinions
regarding its theoretical assumptions, and practical effectiveness. It is concluded that research
in TAM lacks sufficient rigor and relevance that would make it a well established theory for
the IS community.