Design Research in Information Systems: Theory and Practice

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.

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.