Consortium Research: A Method for Researcher-Practitioner Collaboration inDesign-Oriented IS Research

Design-oriented research in the Information Systems (IS) domain aims at delivering results which are both of scientific rigor and of relevance for practitioners. Today, however, academic researchers are facing the challenge of gaining access to and capturing knowledge from the practitioner community. Against this background, the paper proposes a method for Consortium Research, which is supposed to facilitate multilateral collaboration of researchers and practitioners during the research process. The method's design is based on a self-evaluating design process which was carried out over a period of 20 years. The paper's contribution is twofold. First, it addresses the science of design, since it proposes guidance to researchers for practitioner collaboration during the process of artifact design. Second, the method is an artifact itself, hence, the result of a design-oriented research proces

Relevance through Consortium Research? A Case Study

The Information Systems (IS) community is discussing the relevance of its research. Design-oriented IS research is considered a promising approach since it combines practical relevance and scientific rigor. Only limited guidance, however, is available for the researcher to gain access to and exchange knowledge from the practitioners’ domain. Consortium research addresses this issue. It is research collaboration between academic research institutions and partner companies aiming at jointly developing IS artefacts. Consortium research as a method comprises four phases, namely analysis, design, evaluation, and diffusion. This paper presents a case study on consortium research in the area of Corporate Data Quality Management (CDQM). In doing so, it explains the characteristics of consortium research which facilitate the knowledge transfer between researchers and practitioners. The paper contributes to the debate on research relevance by identifying aspects which - in further research - might be incorporated into existing guidelines for the conduct of design-oriented IS research

Consortium Research: A Method for Researcher-Practitioner Collaboration in Design-Oriented IS Research

Design-oriented research in the Information Systems (IS) domain aims at delivering results which are both of scientific rigor and of relevance for practitioners. Today, however, academic researchers are facing the challenge of gaining access to and capturing knowledge from the practitioner community. Against this background, the paper proposes a method for Consortium Research, which is supposed to facilitate multilateral collaboration of researchers and practitioners during the research process. The method’s design is based on a self-evaluating design process which was carried out over a period of 20 years. The paper’s contribution is twofold. First, it addresses the science of design, since it proposes guidance to researchers for practitioner collaboration during the process of artifact design. Second, the method is an artifact itself, hence, the result of a design-oriented research process