Design Research in Information Systems: Theory and Practice (Integrated Series in Information Systems Book 22)

It is 5 years since the publication of the seminal paper on "Design Science in Information Systems Research" by Hevner, March, Park, and Ram in MIS Quarterly and the initiation of the Information Technology and Systems department of the Communications of AIS. These events in 2004 are markers in the move of design science to the forefront of information systems research. A suf cient interval has elapsed since then to allow assessment of from where the eld has come and where it should go. Design science research and behavioral science research started as dual tracks when IS was a young eld. By the 1990s, the in ux of behavioral scientists started to dominate the number of design scientists and the eld moved in that direction. By the early 2000s, design people were having dif culty publishing in mainline IS journals and in being tenured in many universities. Yes, an annual Workshop on Information Technology and Systems (WITS) was established in 1991 in conju- tion with the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) and grew each year. But that was the extent of design science recognition. Fortunately, a revival is underway. By 2009, when this foreword was written, the fourth DESRIST c- ference has been held and plans are afoot for the 2010 meeting. Design scientists regained respect and recognition in many venues where they previously had little. Critical Praise for Design Science Research Book......Page 5 Foreword......Page 8 Foreword......Page 10 Purpose and Motivation of This Book......Page 12 Intended Audience......Page 13 Acknowledgments......Page 14 Contents......Page 15 Contributors......Page 23 About the Authors......Page 24 1.1 What Is Design? Different Perspectives......Page 26 1.2 What Is Research?......Page 27 1.3 Is Design a Science?......Page 28 1.5 Placing DSR in Context......Page 30 1.6 The Spectrum of IS DSR......Page 31 1.7 Difference Between Routine Design Practice and DSR......Page 32 References......Page 33 2.1 Information Systems Research......Page 34 2.2 Summary of Hevner, March, Park, and Ram 2004 MISQ Paper......Page 35 2.3 Impacts of 2004 MISQ Paper on Design Science Research......Page 38 2.4 Extending the Reach of Design Science Research in IS......Page 39 2.4.2 Design as Research vs. Researching Design......Page 40 2.4.3 Design Science Research Cycles......Page 41 2.4.3.2 The Rigor Cycle......Page 42 2.4.3.3 The Design Cycle......Page 43 2.4.5 Publication of Design Science Research......Page 44 References......Page 46 3.1 Understanding the Natural and Artificial Worlds......Page 48 3.2 Toward a Theory of Complex Systems......Page 49 3.3 Systems Development in Information Systems Research......Page 50 3.4 The General Design Cycle......Page 51 3.5 Action Research Framework......Page 52 3.6 The Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM)......Page 53 References......Page 56 4.1 What Is Theory?......Page 57 4.2.1 Observation......Page 58 4.2.3 Defining Relationships......Page 59 4.3 Transition to Normative Theory......Page 60 4.4 Taxonomy of Theory Types in Information Systems......Page 61 4.5 Is Design Theory Possible?......Page 62 4.5.1 Information Systems Design Theory......Page 63 4.5.2 Hooker's View on Design Theory......Page 64 4.5.3 Toward the Anatomy of an IS Design Theory......Page 65 References......Page 66 5.1 Introduction......Page 67 5.2 Thesis 1: IS Is an Applied or Practical Discipline......Page 68 5.3 Thesis 2: Prescriptive Research Is an Essential Part of IS as an Applied or Practical Discipline......Page 69 5.4 Thesis 3: The Design Science Activity of Building IT Artifacts Is an Important Part of Prescriptive Research in Information Systems......Page 71 5.5 Thesis 4: The Primary Interest of IS Lies in IT Applications, and Therefore IS as a Design Science Should Be Based on a Sound Ontology of IT Artifacts and Especially of IT Applications......Page 72 5.6 Thesis 5: IS as a Design Science Builds IT Meta-artifacts That Support the Development of Concrete IT Applications......Page 73 5.7 Thesis 6: Prescriptive Knowledge of IT Artifacts Forms a Knowledge Area of Its Own and Cannot Be Reduced to the Descriptive Knowledge of Theories and Empirical Regularities......Page 74 5.8 Thesis 7: The Resulting IT Meta-artifacts Essentially Entail Design Product and Design Process Knowledge......Page 75 5.9 Thesis 8: The Term Design Theory Should Be Used Only When It Is Based on a Sound Kernel Theory......Page 76 5.10 Thesis 9: Constructive Research Methods Should Make the Process of Building IT Meta-artifacts Disciplined, Rigorous, and Transparent......Page 77 5.11 Thesis 10: Explication of the Practical Problems to Be Solved, the Existing Artifacts to Be Improved, the Analogies and Metaphors to Be Used, and/or the Kernel Theories to Be Applied Is Significant in Making the Building Process Disciplined, Rigorous, and Transparent......Page 79 5.12 Thesis 11: IS as a Design Science Cannot Be Value-Free, but It May Reflect Means-End, Interpretive, or Critical Orientation......Page 81 5.14 Conclusions and Final Comments......Page 82 References......Page 84 6.1 Science of Design Challenges......Page 87 6.2 Software-Intensive Systems......Page 89 6.3 Science of Design Principles......Page 90 6.4 Categories of Software-Intensive Systems Principles......Page 92 6.5 A Proposed Research Vision......Page 93 6.6.1 Software Design Theories......Page 94 6.6.2 Dynamic System Theories......Page 95 6.7 SIS Engineering Activities......Page 96 6.8 SIS Research Project Framework......Page 98 6.9 Intellectual Drivers for Science of Design in SIS Research......Page 99 References......Page 100 7 People and Design......Page 102 7.1 Designing for Consumers......Page 103 7.2 Practice of Ethnography in Design......Page 104 7.4 Designing for Scale Google and People......Page 106 References......Page 109 8.1 A Software Design Framework......Page 110 8.2 Software Architecture......Page 111 8.2.3 Online, Real-Time Architectures......Page 112 8.2.4 Distributed, Client--Server Architectures......Page 113 8.2.5 Component-Based Architectures......Page 114 8.3 Algorithmic Design......Page 115 8.3.2 Structured Program Design......Page 116 8.3.4 Widely Used Programming Languages......Page 117 8.4.2 Computerized File Management......Page 118 8.4.3 Online Data Processing......Page 119 8.4.5 Current Trends in Data Management......Page 120 8.5.2 Text-Based Command Interfaces......Page 121 8.5.4 Current Trends in HCI......Page 122 8.6 Software Development Processes and Methods......Page 123 8.6.1 Software Development Processes......Page 124 8.6.3 Object-Oriented Methods......Page 125 8.6.5 Component-Based Development (CBD) Methods......Page 126 8.6.7 Controlled-Flexible Development Methods......Page 127 References......Page 128 9.1 What Is Evaluation?......Page 131 9.2 Why Do We Perform Evaluations?......Page 132 9.3 Differing Perspectives of Stakeholders......Page 133 9.4 Basic Structure of Evaluation Studies......Page 134 9.5 The Art of Performance Evaluation......Page 135 9.7 Conducting an Objectivist Comparative Study A Brief Example......Page 137 9.8 Threats to Inference and Validity......Page 140 References......Page 141 10.1 Introduction......Page 142 10.2 Research Focus Groups......Page 143 10.3.1 Formulate Research Question or Problem......Page 145 10.3.3 Number of Focus Groups......Page 147 10.3.5 Participant Recruitment......Page 148 10.3.7 Develop and Pre-test a Questioning Route......Page 149 10.3.9 Analyze and Interpret Data......Page 150 10.4 A Design Research Example......Page 151 10.4.2 Data Quality Metrics Description......Page 152 10.4.4 Identify Sample Frame......Page 154 10.4.7 Recruit Participants......Page 155 10.4.8 Conduct Focus Groups......Page 156 10.4.9.1 Template Analysis......Page 158 10.4.10 Report Results......Page 159 10.5 Limitations on the Use of Focus Groups for Design Research......Page 160 10.6 Closing Remarks......Page 161 References......Page 162 11.1 Creativity What Is It?......Page 165 11.2 Group Creativity......Page 167 11.3 Conceptual Blockbusting Theory......Page 168 11.5 Creativity, Design, and IT......Page 170 11.6 Creativity and Design in the Age of Virtual Worlds......Page 172 11.7 Designing Virtual Worlds......Page 173 11.8 Conclusion......Page 174 References......Page 175 12.1 Problem Statement......Page 177 12.2 Concept......Page 179 12.4 Knowledge Packet Generator......Page 182 12.5 Barriers......Page 184 12.6 Value Accelerators......Page 185 12.8 Evaluation Methodology: SME Model Instantiation Comparisons......Page 187 12.9 Results......Page 189 12.10 Contribution to Research......Page 194 12.11 Conclusion......Page 195 References......Page 196 13.1 Introduction......Page 198 13.2.1 Design Research......Page 199 13.2.2 Action Research......Page 201 13.3.1 Applying Action Research Criteria to a Design Research Exemplar......Page 202 13.3.1.3 Criterion 3: The Principle of Theory......Page 203 13.3.1.4 Criterion 4: The Principle of Change Through Action......Page 204 13.3.1.5 Criterion 5: The Principle of Learning Through Reflection......Page 205 13.3.2.3 Criterion 3: Design Evaluation......Page 206 13.3.2.6 Criterion 6: Design as a Search Process......Page 207 13.4 A Way Forward......Page 208 13.4.1 Adding ''Reflection'' to Augment Learning from Design Research......Page 209 13.4.3 Envisioning an Integrated Research Process......Page 210 13.5 Conclusions......Page 211 References......Page 212 14.1 Introduction......Page 214 14.2 Design Concepts......Page 217 14.3 Design Science Research in Organizational Studies......Page 219 14.4 Conclusions......Page 223 References......Page 224 15 Design Science Research in Information Systems: A Critical Realist Approach......Page 228 15.1 Introduction......Page 229 15.2 Why an Alternative Information Systems Design Science Research Approach?......Page 230 15.3 Critical Realism......Page 233 15.4.1 For Whom Should IS Design Science Research Produce Knowledge?......Page 236 15.4.2 What Types of IS Design Knowledge Should IS Design Research Produce?......Page 237 15.4.3 Developing IS Design Knowledge......Page 240 15.4.3.3 Research Activity: Propose/Refine Design Theory......Page 241 15.4.3.4 Research Activity: Test Design Theory......Page 242 15.4.5.2 Review (Kernel) Theories and Previous Research......Page 243 15.4.5.4 Test Design Theory......Page 244 15.4.6.2 Review (Kernel) Theories and Previous Research......Page 245 15.4.7.1 Identify Problems and Desired Outcomes......Page 246 15.4.7.4 Test Design Theory......Page 247 References......Page 248 16.1 Introduction......Page 253 16.2 Service Versus Digital Service......Page 255 16.3 Research Objectives......Page 256 16.5 Grounding of the Taxonomy......Page 258 16.6 Fundamental Design Dimensions......Page 259 16.6.1 Service Delivery......Page 260 16.6.2 Service Maturity......Page 261 16.6.3 Malleability......Page 262 16.6.4 Pricing and Funding......Page 263 16.7.1 Business Objective......Page 265 16.7.3 Interaction Objectives......Page 266 16.8 Summary of the Taxonomy......Page 267 16.9.1 Salesforce.com......Page 268 16.10 Future Research Considerations......Page 269 References......Page 270 17.1 Academic Route Conference and Journal Papers......Page 272 17.2 Funding to Support Your Design Research......Page 274 17.3 Commercializing Your Ideas via Start-Ups......Page 275 References......Page 276 18.1 Introduction......Page 277 18.3 Trend 2: Growing Number of Scholars Will Research Design......Page 278 18.5.1 Health Care and IT......Page 279 18.5.2 Green Technology and Green IT......Page 280 18.5.3 Green Computing......Page 282 References......Page 283 DESIGN SCIENCE IN INFORMATION......Page 285 Introduction......Page 286 A Framework for IS Research......Page 288 Guideline 1: Design as an Artifact......Page 292 Guideline 2: Problem Relevance......Page 294 Guideline 3: Design Evaluation......Page 295 Guideline 5: Research Rigor......Page 297 Guideline 6: Design as a......Page 298 Application of the Design Science Research Guidelines......Page 300 The Design and Implementation......Page 301 Design Evaluation......Page 302 Problem Relevance......Page 303 Design Evaluation......Page 304 Problem Relevance......Page 305 Design as an Artifact......Page 306 Research Communication......Page 307 Discussion and Conclusions......Page 308 References......Page 310 About the Authors......Page 315 Appendix B Exemplar Publications of Design ScienceResearch in Information Systems......Page 316 Contributors......Page 320 Index......Page 324 "The study of Information Systems (IS) design is an essential part of the education of IS students and professionals. The purpose of this book is to provide a thorough reference on Design Science Research (DSR), and it comes from two authors closely identified with DSR - Alan Hevner and Samir Chatterjee. As founders of the Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology (DESRIST) annual conference, and as leading educators and researchers in the field, these authors, along with several invited contributors, are uniquely qualified to create this easy-to-read, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-apply text/reference. Suitable for graduate courses in IS, computer science, software engineering, engineering design and other design-oriented fields, it can be used as a core text or a reference for doctoral seminars in DSR. IS faculty and researchers will find much of value here as well. It requires no extensive background in design and can be appreciated by practitioners working in IS or technology design. Its 18 chapters are all individually referenced, and two appendices provide a reprint of the seminal 2004 MISQ paper by Hevner, March, Park, and Ram, as well as a list of exemplar papers in Design Science. The book provides a thorough introduction to DSR, a look at DSR in IS, examinations of DSR frameworks and design theory, and a look at the key principles of DSR in IS. Other chapters look at design for software-intensive systems, people and design, the past and present of software designs, evaluation methods, focus-group use, design creativity, and a design language for knowledge management systems. Later chapters explore integrating action research with design research, design science in management disciplines, a critical realist perspective of DSR in IS, a taxonomic look at design of emerging digital services, the dissemination of DSR, and, finally, a look at the future for DSR in IS"--Page 4 of cover