Engineering and design science methodologies (2016TEWMHB)
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Information systems are implemented within organizations to improve their effectiveness
and efficiency. The capabilities of the information system, as well as the characteristics of
the organization, its work systems, its people, and its development and implementation
methodologies, all contribute to the extent to which this goal is achieved. Researchers in the
field of Information Systems (IS) work to improve the use of information technology in
human organizations and their management, and to develop and communicate knowledge
about both the management of information technology and the use of technology for
managerial and organizational purposes. There are two main paradigms that are used in IS
research: the behavioral-science paradigm and the design-science paradigm.
The behavioral-science paradigm is based in natural science research methods and seeks to
develop and justify theories that explain or predict organizational and human phenomena
related to the analysis, design, implementation, management, and use of information
systems. These theories ultimately inform researchers and practitioners about the
interactions among people, technology, and organizations that must be managed in order to
achieve the stated purpose of an information system, which is to improve the effectiveness
and efficiency of an organization. The design-science paradigm is based in engineering and
the sciences of the artificial, and it is a problem-solving paradigm that seeks to create
innovations that define the ideas, practices, technical capabilities, and products through
which the analysis, design, implementation, management, and use of information systems
can be effectively and efficiently accomplished. The creation of these innovations relies on
existing kernel theories that are applied, tested, modified, and extended through the
experience, creativity, intuition, and problem-solving capabilities of the researcher.
It is important to recognize the relationship between these two paradigms because
technology and behavior are inseparable in an information system, and IS research needs to
take both into account in order to address the fundamental problems faced in the
productive use of information technology. The IS research domain is at the intersection of
people, organizations, and technology, and IT artifacts extend the boundaries of human
problem solving and organizational capabilities by providing intellectual as well as
computational tools. Theories about their application and impact will follow their
development and use. By engaging in a complementary research cycle between design-
science and behavioral-science, IS research can make significant contributions to the
productive application of information technology.
Information systems (IS) are complex and intentionally designed to support the goals of the
organizations they are a part of. They involve the interaction of people, structures,
technologies, and work systems. IS practitioners and managers often focus on the design of
organizational and information systems infrastructures, which involves aligning business and
technology strategies and coordinating the resources needed to accomplish a goal. This
coordination is becoming increasingly important as information technology is seen as a key
enabler of business strategy and organizational infrastructure. IS research must address the
interaction between business strategy, technology strategy, organizational infrastructure,
and IS infrastructure.
, Design science is a research paradigm that focuses on building and evaluating the IS
infrastructure within a business organization. It involves two processes: build and evaluate,
and four artifacts: constructs, models, methods, and instantiations. Constructs provide a
language for defining and communicating problems and solutions, models represent real-
world situations and their potential solutions, methods provide guidance on how to solve
problems, and instantiations demonstrate the feasibility of an artifact in a working system.
The design process involves iterating through a build-and-evaluate loop until a final design
artifact is generated. It is important to consider both the design process and the design
artifact as part of the research.
Design is both a process (a set of activities) and a product (an artifact). It involves acting on
the world (processes) and sensing the world (artifacts). This view of design supports a
problem-solving paradigm that continuously shifts perspective between design processes
and designed artifacts to address complex problems. The design process is a sequence of
expert activities that produces an innovative product (the design artifact). The evaluation of
the artifact then provides feedback information and a better understanding of the problem
in order to improve both the quality of the product and the design process. This build-and-
evaluate loop is typically iterated a number of times before the final design artifact is
generated.
IS research using the design science paradigm aims to build purposeful artifacts to address
unsolved problems, and to evaluate their utility in solving those problems. The design-
science researcher must be aware of both the design process and the design artifact as part
of the research. March and Smith identify two design processes (build and evaluate) and
four design artifacts (constructs, models, methods, and instantiations) in the field of IS. The
design process involves iterating through a build-and-evaluate loop until a final design
artifact is generated. It is important to consider both the design process and the design
artifact as part of the research.
Design science is a research approach that involves creating and evaluating an artifact,
which is a purposeful and innovative solution to a specific problem domain. The artifact
must be useful for the problem it is trying to solve and be novel in its approach to solving
the problem. It should also be thoroughly defined and formally represented, and the
process of its creation should involve searching for an effective solution. The results of the
design science research should be effectively communicated to both technical and
managerial audiences. These guidelines are meant to help researchers, reviewers, editors,
and readers understand the requirements for effective design science research, but should
not be used in a mandatory or rote manner. Instead, researchers, reviewers, and editors
should use their creativity and judgment to determine how to apply these guidelines in a
specific research project, and it is up to reviewers, editors, and readers to determine how
well the research satisfies the guidelines.
In addition to these guidelines, design science research often involves iterative cycles of
design, evaluation, and refinement, as well as the use of a variety of methods and tools,
such as prototyping, simulation, and experimentation. It is often interdisciplinary, drawing
on insights and methods from a range of fields, such as engineering, computer science,
management, and social sciences. The goal of design science research is to create
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