Self-reporting Limitations in Information Systems Design Science Research

Besides increasing transparency and demonstrating awareness of the author, self-reported limitations enable other researchers to effectively learn from, build on, validate, and extend the original work. However, this topic is understudied in information systems design science research (IS DSR). The study has assessed 243 IS DSR papers published in the period 2013–2022 and built a typology of the 19 most relevant limitations, organized into four categories: (1) Input Knowledge and Technology, (2) Research Process, (3) Resulting Artifact, and (4) Design Knowledge. Further, the contribution suggests actions to mitigate each type of limitation throughout the entire IS DSR project lifecycle. The authors have also created guidelines to report the limitations in a useful way for knowledge accumulation. The proposed typology and guidelines enable reviewers and editors to better frame self-reported limitations, assess rigor and relevance more systematically, and provide more precise feedback. Moreover, the contribution may help design researchers identify, mitigate, and effectively communicate the uncertainties inherent to all scientific advances

Science, Design, and Design Science: Seeking Clarity to Move Design Science Research Forward in Information Systems

This paper examines the fundamental nature of science, design, hence design science and design research, with a view to determining a conceptualisation of design science that is useful in the discipline of information systems (IS). After reviewing several notions of design, the paper recommends a conceptualisation that involves a broad practice-based view of design, an inclusive conceptualisation of design science, and a diverse and multi-paradigmatic approach to design research. The paper recommends that the design task in IS be conceived as one that includes rather than strips away the social and organizational context of the IT artifact, and this impacts the breadth of topics embraced by design science, and the types of methods employed to further enquiry in the field

Quantum technology: single-photon source

This report is a synthesis of my master thesis internship at the National Institute of Informatics (NII) in Tokyo, Japan, that lasted during the summer of year 2012. I worked in the Quantum Information Science Theory (QIST) group under supervision of Prof. Kae Nemoto and Dr. Simon Devitt. This group works on theoretical and experimental implementations of quantum information science. The aim of my project was to study and improve quantum optical systems. I first studied different fields and systems of quantum information science. Then I focused my research on single-photon sources, entangled photon sources and interferometric photonic switches. Finally, I found some strategies to design an efficient and optimized single-photon source that could be built with today's technologies. This report describes in details the created and optimized design of a single-photon source based on time and space multiplexing of Spontaneous Parametric Downconversion (SPDC) sources.Comment: Research extract of Master thesis report. Defended in September 2012. Declassified by the NII in February 201

Lessons that Action Research Offers to Design Science in Information Systems

The cyclical nature and other features of action research can support and strengthen design science. Design science can take advantage of some features of action research where this would help to resolve the rigor-relevance dilemma. We offer a research framework that takes the features of theoria and praxis from a specific form of action research (dialogical action research) and transfers them to design science. The framework leads to lessons that action research offers to design science

ARTIFACT EVALUATION IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS DESIGN-SCIENCE RESEARCH – A HOLISTIC VIEW

Design science in Information Systems (IS) research pertains to the creation of artifacts to solve reallife problems. Research on IS artifact evaluation remains at an early stage. In the design-science research literature, evaluation criteria are presented in a fragmented or incomplete manner. This paper addresses the following research questions: which criteria are proposed in the literature to evaluate IS artifacts? Which ones are actually used in published research? How can we structure these criteria? Finally, which evaluation methods emerge as generic means to assess IS artifacts? The artifact resulting from our research comprises three main components: a hierarchy of evaluation criteria for IS artifacts organized according to the dimensions of a system (goal, environment, structure, activity, and evolution), a model providing a high-level abstraction of evaluation methods, and finally, a set of generic evaluation methods which are instantiations of this model. These methods result from an inductive study of twenty-six recently published papers

Panel: Can Information Systems thrive without Design Science?

Design Science is the scientific study of design i.e. the study of the artificial as opposed to the natural (Gregory 1966; Simon 1996). Design science includes the process of creating IT artifacts such as “constructs (vocabulary and symbols), models (abstractions and representations), methods (algorithms and practices), and instantiations (implemented and prototype systems)” (2004, p. 77) on the basis of a systematic body of evidence. Hevner et al. (2004) provide a set of seven guidelines which help information systems researchers conduct, evaluate and present design-science research. The seven guidelines address design as an artifact, problem relevance, design evaluation, research contributions, research rigor, design as a search process, and research communication (Hevner et al. 2004) . Can IT artifacts be created without Design Science? If yes, why do we need design science? Does the field of Information Systems prosper because of Design Science? How does design science as a methodology differ from other methodologies used in management and systems development research? Future opportunities and frontiers in Design Science The panel will discuss these topics with a focus on how to create better IT artifacts using Design Science

A Paradigmatic Analysis of Information Systems As a Design Science

The present essay discusses the ontology, epistemology, methodology and ethics of design science. It suggests that Information Systems as a design science should be based on a sound ontology, including an ontology of IT artifacts. In the case of epistemology, the essay emphasizes the irreducibility of the prescriptive knowledge of IT artifacts to theoretical descriptive knowledge. It also expresses a need for constructive research methods, which allow disciplined, rigorous and transparent building of IT artifacts as outcomes of design science research. The relationship between action research and design science research is also briefly discussed. In the case of ethics, the essay points out that Information Systems as design science cannot be valuefree

A set of ethical principles for design science research in information systems

Over the past decade, design science research (DSR) has re-emerged as an important research paradigm in the field of information systems. However, the approaches currently recommended for conducting design science research do not include an ethical component. Thus, the objective of this paper is to initiate a debate about the need for ethical principles for DSR in Information Systems (IS). To launch this debate, we suggest that a set of ethical principles for DSR in IS must be created. Although the interpretation and application of these principles might not always be straightforward, our argument is that all DSR practitioners in IS should devote at least some time to consider ethical principles

Design Science Research in Information Systems: A Systematic Literature Review 2001-2015

In the last few years, design science research has received wide attention within the IS community. It is increasingly recognized as an equal companion to IS behavioral science research and being applied to address IS topics. With the aim of providing an overview of its current state, this paper presents a systematic literature review on design science research in IS field. The results of this paper reveal the focuses of previous theoretical and empirical design science research and provide some directions for future IS design science research

Effectuation and its implications for socio-technical design science research in information systems

We study the implications of the effectuation concept for socio-technical artifact design as part of the design science research (DSR) process in information systems (IS). Effectuation logic is the opposite of causal logic. Ef-fectuation does not focus on causes to achieve a particular effect, but on the possibilities that can be achieved with extant means and resources. Viewing so-cio-technical IS DSR through an effectuation lens highlights the possibility to design the future even without set goals. We suggest that effectuation may be a useful perspective for design in dynamic social contexts leading to a more dif-ferentiated view on the instantiation of mid-range artifacts for specific local ap-plication contexts. Design science researchers can draw on this paper’s conclu-sions to view their DSR projects through a fresh lens and to reexamine their re-search design and execution. The paper also offers avenues for future research to develop more concrete application possibilities of effectuation in socio-technical IS DSR and, thus, enrich the discourse