Design science research

Objectives

According to Van Aken, the main goal of design science research is to develop knowledge that the professionals of the discipline in question can use to design solutions for their field problems. This mission can be compared to the one of the ‘explanatory sciences’, like the natural sciences and sociology, which is to develop knowledge to describe, explain and predict. Hevner states that the main purpose of design science research is achieving knowledge and understanding of a problem domain by building and application of a designed artifact.

Evolution

Since the first days of computer science, computer scientists have been doing design science research without naming it. They have developed new architectures for computers, new programming languages, new compilers, new algorithms, new data and file structures, new data models, new database management systems, and so on. Much of the early research was focused on systems development approaches and methods. The dominant research philosophy has been to develop cumulative, theory-based research to be able to make prescriptions. It seems that this ‘theory-with-practical-implications’ research strategy has seriously failed to produce results that are of real interest in practice. This failure led to search practical research methods such as design science research.

Characteristics

The design process is a sequence of expert activities that produces an innovative product. The artifact enables the researcher to get a better grasp of the problem; the re-evaluation of the problem improves the quality of the design process and so on. This build-and-evaluate loop is typically iterated a number of times before the final design artifact is generated. In design science research, the focus is on the so-called field-tested and grounded technological rule as a possible product of Mode 2 research with the potential to improve the relevance of academic research in management. Mode 1 knowledge production is purely academic and mono-disciplinary, while Mode 2 is multidisciplinary and aims at solving complex and relevant field problems.

Guidelines in information systems research

Hevner counts 7 guidelines for a design science research:

Design as an artifact

Design-science research must produce a viable artifact in the form of a construct, a model, a method, or an instantiation.

Problem relevance

The objective of design-science research is to develop technology-based solutions to important and relevant business problems.

Design evaluation

The utility, quality, and efficacy of a design artifact must be rigorously demonstrated via well-executed evaluation methods.

Research contributions

Effective design-science research must provide clear and verifiable contributions in the areas of the design artifact, design foundations, and/or design methodologies.

Research rigor

Design-science research relies upon the application of rigorous methods in both the construction and evaluation of the design artifact.

Design as a search process

The search for an effective artifact requires utilizing available means to reach desired ends while satisfying laws in the problem environment.

Communication of research

Design-science research must be presented effectively both to technology-oriented as well as management-oriented audiences.

Artifacts

Artifacts within DSR are perceived to be knowledge containing. This knowledge ranges form the design logic, construction methods and tool to assumptions about the context in which the artifact is intended to function (Gregor, 2002).

The creation and evaluation of artifacts thus forms an important part in the DSR process which was described by Hevner et al., (2004) and supported by March and Storey (2008) as revolving around "build and evaluate".

DSR artifacts can broadly include: models, methods, constructs, instantiations and design theories (March & Smith, 1995; Gregor 2002; March & Storey, 2008, Gregor and Hevner 2013), social innovations, new or previously unknown properties of technical/social/informational resources (March, Storey, 2008), new explanatory theories, new design and developments models and implementation processes or methods (Ellis & Levy 2010).

A three-cycle view

Design science research can be seen as an embodiment of three closely related cycles of activities. The relevance cycle initiates design science research with an application context that not only provides the requirements for the research as inputs but also defines acceptance criteria for the ultimate evaluation of the research results. The rigor cycle provides past knowledge to the research project to ensure its innovation. It is contingent on the researchers to thoroughly research and reference the knowledge base in order to guarantee that the designs produced are research contributions and not routine designs based upon the application of well-known processes. The central Design Cycle iterates between the core activities of building and evaluating the design artifacts and processes of the research.

Ethical issues

Design science research in itself implies an ethical change from describing and explaining of the existing world to shaping it. One can question the values of IS research, i.e. whose values and what values dominate it, emphasizing that research may openly or latently serve the interests of particular dominant groups. The interests served may be those of the host organization as perceived by its top management, those of IS users, those of IS professionals or potentially those of other stakeholder groups in society.