A catalog of API Gateway metrics and its quantitative evaluation

Design science is a problem-solving approach that focuses on how to develop and produce artifacts having desired properties. A Design Science Research (DSR) approach was followed to develop a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) artifact (semiotic framework [Semiotic Interface sign Design and Evaluation – the SIDE framework]) to help practitioners to design and evaluate the web interfaces. The objective of this paper is to present how a DSR approach was adopted in a HCI project and to highlight what lessons were learned by adopting the DSR approach in developing a HCI artifact. This paper outlines how the principles and guidelines of DSR approach were adopted, while performing the activities of the DSR process model to construct the artifact. Lessons learned from this case study and their implications in HCI research are also discussed; that includes, for example, DSR provides higher level of procedural transparency, maintains the research rigor, create a bridge between the HCI and IS, provides established research knowledge base, support to claim both as an approach and a paradigm, and facilitates to employ both inductive and deductive design activities.

Enhancing Organizational Culture and Productivity through Innovative Performance Appraisal: A Design Science Research Approach

Crowdfunding is now established as a valid alternative to conventional methods of financing for startups. Unfortunately, to date, research has not investigated how backers can be encouraged to support entrepreneurs beyond funding. The aim of this study is to design and evaluate certain design elements for reward-based crowdfunding platforms that can engage backers in co-creational activities for product development. The study uses a design science research (DSR) approach and the theoretical concept of psychological ownership to inform a new design and then experimentally test that design. The results suggest that the derived artifacts positively influence co-creational activities in crowdfunding and that feelings of psychological ownership play an important mediating role. The contribution of this research is threefold. First, this paper extends crowdfunding’s application potential from merely a method of financing to a method of value creation with customers for product development. Second, the study advances DSR by applying a new DSR approach that shows whether a design performs as hypothesized by theory. Third, this research allows the exploration of backers’ individual behavior as opposed to their collective behavior.

The growing reliance on APIs in the banking sector, driven by digital transformation, necessitates robust API Gateways that balance performance with strong security measures to address risks like API abuse, man-in-the-middle attacks, and data scraping, while ensuring compliance with regulations such as PCI-DSS, GDPR, and OJK standards. This study bridges the gap in technical guidance by developing a comprehensive evaluation framework using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to determine the most suitable API Gateway for banking. The findings identify Apigee as the optimal choice, scoring 1.4277 for its superior authentication, traffic encryption, threat detection, deployment flexibility, cloud integration, and API management. IBM API Connect, scoring 0.6186, is a strong alternative with excellent security and management features but limited scalability and deployment flexibility. Kong and Axway API Gateway follow with scores of 0.4215 and 0.4627, excelling in deployment and integration but lacking critical security features for banking. This research emphasizes the strategic importance of selecting the right API Gateway to bolster cybersecurity and API management in banking, recommending Apigee as the primary solution and IBM API Connect for complex IT infrastructures. It also contributes to the literature by providing a structured, quantitative approach to API Gateway selection and suggests future research exploring AI integration, advanced analytics, and cost-benefit analyses for informed decision-making in the financial sector.

Qualitative design is a research approach to explore a central phenomenon by reporting how people see the world. Meanwhile, design science research (DSR) is a problem-solving design paradigm that seeks to enhance human knowledge via developing innovative artefacts. Qualitative design has mostly been used as an approach to finding and analysing the cause and effect of a phenomena. However, with the increasing importance of digital technology in the current digital age, research that encompasses qualitative design and developmental methods such as DSR is becoming more important. This study presents how qualitative design methods can be merged with DSR. This study will discuss how DSR research can be designed using the DSR framework and DSR process. The DSR consideration that needs to be considered when conducting DSR research will also be presented. The results show that by constructing the DSR framework and DSR process mindfully, DSR research can comply with the DSR considerations. The intersection of qualitative design and DSR approach is also presented which shows how using these two approaches can align more with the current digital age. We have then constructed a DSR framework and process that incorporates qualitative design methods. We hope that the results and presentation of this study will be able to help researchers who are interested in doing DSR research that merges qualitative design methods to know how to comply with DSR considerations and how to incorporate them into DSR research.

PurposeIn response to multiple disruptions, the purchasing supply management (PSM) function in construction supply chain management (CSCM) has gained prominence due to stakeholder pressures, dynamic market conditions and the need to adhere to complex sustainability, safety and health regulations and standards. However, there is a noticeable absence of empirical research on measuring and mitigating PSM vulnerabilities, especially considering the distinct challenges faced by large engineer-to-order project-oriented manufacturers. To address these issues, the purpose of this study is to develop and test a novel method to assist companies in construction supply chains in assessing and managing risks associated with sustainable procuring and sourcing materials.Design/methodology/approachGrounded in the literature gaps on construction PSM and a real case supply chain, the research uses the design science research (DSR) approach to develop an integrated method for assessing PSM strategies in this sector. The method integrates three essential purchasing dimensions: supply risks, profit impact and sustainability risks of materials, supported by nine subdimensions. Empirical validation took place within a multinational European construction company based in Denmark.FindingsFindings from the supplier–buyer relationships confirmed that the developed method allows for the identification of the key components that significantly impact supplier–buyer relationships, profitability and sustainability. The research further suggests that construction supply chain managers and purchasing practitioners can use the proposed method to evaluate PSM, thus enabling them to make more informed decisions.Practical implicationsThrough the utilization of the proposed artifact, construction companies can take a more proactive approach to address PSM uncertainties, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in dynamic construction supply chains.Originality/valueThe research contributes to bridging the theory and practice, providing valuable assistance for construction companies assessing and managing the PSM and supply risks within global construction value chains. This paper provides original insights for the CSCM, aiding in adopting competitive PSM strategies to improve overall supply chain performance.

Small scale farmers (SSF) in Tanzania are challenged by food insecurity, lack of infrastructure, lack of access to credit and services, and lack of reliable channels for farming information. Despite various initiatives the agriculture sector in Tanzania has remained poor. Unreliable information has been found as one factor that hinders decision‐making and productivity. This study is the first step in a design science research (DSR) approach to address farmers’ challenges directly with technology. This research studied the acute challenges, information channels, and information gaps of SSFs in Chamwino, Tanzania. Based on our previous qualitative results, a structured questionnaire containing 76 items on a Likert scale was administered to 150 small scale farmers in Chamwino, Tanzania. A response rate of 83% (n=124) was reached. The data was analyzed for descriptive statistics as well as basic measures of statistical association. The results show that farmers rely on tacit knowledge in regards of weather information, market data, plant and disease identification, and business management, and are vulnerable to middlemen frauds and inaccurate decision making. Many of these challenges can potentially be solved by technology. A number of engineering solutions for the basis of future DSR projects are proposed.

This paper presents Teen Talk as a multi-purpose e-learning application that was designed and developed using Design Science Research (DSR) approach. Teen Talk offers training for professionals and students who work with adolescents and young adults with significant speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). It is a multi-purpose tool, offering traditional education content to students/trainees (for example, student Speech and Language Therapists) and a professional development opportunity for professionals working in the field (for example, professionals working with adolescents with SLCN in Youth Offending teams). The resource uses video material of adolescents with SLCN to structure interactive learning tasks. Finally, the structure as well as the different aspects and components of Teen Talk are presented and discussed.

Industrial business associations improving the internationalisation of SMEs with digital platforms: A design science research approach

This study developed and evaluated a mobile application for infrastructure rental at the Quality Assurance Agency for Education (BPMP) in West Papua using the Design Science Research (DSR) approach in the field of Information Systems (IS). This application, the first designed specifically for the needs of BPMP West Papua and integrated with the existing system, was assessed based on usability and user acceptance through interviews, black box testing, and effectiveness testing using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) approach. The black box testing results indicated successful application development. Evaluation with 64 respondents through hypothesis testing showed that social influence and technological anxiety significantly affect attitudes toward accepting the use of the application. This highlights the importance of considering these factors for the successful implementation of the mobile application at BPMP West Papua, potentially enhancing the efficiency of infrastructure rental.

The informal sector employs the major part of workers in developing countries. Street trading is a common form of informal work. Despite its huge economic value in developing countries, little research is being done to improve street traders’ empowerment and entrepreneurship. Also, development informatics is over-focused on social development and under-focused on economic development. This study takes a design science research (DSR) approach in order to identify barriers for street traders in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, that can be addressed with technology. As a follow-up to our previous qualitative study, a questionnaire was administered to a sample of (N = 285) street traders. The data was analysed using mixed methods. The results show that street traders operate in a challenging environment, and make most of their decisions based on tacit knowledge. Traders are restrained by unreliable business information, weak business strategies, and access to capital. A variety of technology innovations, such as customer-client matchmaking, and record keeping are proposed to directly address the daily challenges of street traders. Future technology projects form exciting possibilities for technology experts, students, and scholars globally. The expected future implications of this project are increased STI capacities, economic growth, and human development.

This study investigates how blockchain and smart contracts provide governance for inter-organisational collaboration, focussing on Virtual Enterprises and Virtual Breeding Environments (VBEs) as manifestations of collaborative networks. We employ a Design Science Research (DSR) approach to design and evaluate a conceptual framework as our artefact. Guided by Enterprise Modelling (EM) methodology, we first propose the blockchain governance mechanisms of on-chain voting, token-based reputation, privacy-preserving data sharing, and identity management, which align with organisational requirements and behavioural aspects of collaborative networks. Second, we empirically validate, test, and provide a simulation analysis of the blockchain mechanisms. The findings represent preliminary evidence of the conceptual framework's generalised utility, highlighting the need for further empirical investigation into blockchain's relation with contractual and relational governance in inter-organisational settings. This study contributes to theory by advancing the understanding of inter-organisational collaboration through blockchain governance in the operations management field. We also offer practical insights to guide the design and action towards blockchain-enabled governance systems.

Since the European information economy faces insufficient access to and joint utilization of data, data ecosystems increasingly emerge as economical solutions in B2B environments. Contrarily, in B2C ambits, concepts for sharing and monetizing personal data have not yet prevailed, impeding growth and innovation. Their major pitfall is European data protection law that merely ascribes human data subjects a need for data privacy while widely neglecting their economic participatory claims to data. The study reports on a design science research (DSR) approach addressing this gap and proposes an abstract reference system architecture for an ecosystem centered on humans with personal data. In this DSR approach, multiple methods are embedded to iteratively build and evaluate the artifact, i.e., structured literature reviews, design recovery, prototyping, and expert interviews. Managerial contributions embody novel design knowledge about the conceptual development of human-centric B2C data ecosystems, considering their legal, ethical, economic, and technical constraints.

Big Data Guided Design Science Information System (DSIS) Development for Sustainability Management and Accounting

With four inspiring conferences that took place in Claremont, Pasadena, Atlanta and Philadelphia, the International Conference on Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology (DESRIST) has developed into a premier conference for design-oriented research in Information Systems. Becoming a truly global conference series, DESRIST was held in St.Gallen, Switzerland, in 2010. DESRIST 2010 brought together researchers and practitioners engaged in design science research from all over the world to provide global perspectives on both design science and design research in the broadest sense.The design science research paradigm has been discussed thoroughly in recent years and is now gaining ground for both building knowledge and improving practice in information systems and several related disciplines. As opposed to natural and social research, design research does not crave ultimate truths, grand theories or general laws, but seeks to identify and understand real-world problemsand propose appropriate, useful solutions. It is commonly believed that design research involves building, investigating and evaluating innovative artefacts such as constructs, frameworks, models, methods, and information system instantiations in order to solve practical problems. Moreover, the study of methods, behaviours, and best practices related to the problem analysis and artefact development process are encompassed commonly referred to as design science.An ongoing debate related to the nature, scope and dominant ideologies of design science research, however, shows that the paradigm is still emerging. Its core, its boundaries and its interplay with other research approaches are increasingly being revealed and defined.The topical theme of DESRIST 2010 is Global Perspectives on Design Science Research. Once more, the DESRIST conference successfully serves as a forum for raising and discussing new ideas in the area of design science research.Among others, the papers submitted to DESRIST 2010 contribute to a better understanding of the interplay between design and organisation, design and information, design and behaviour, and design and collaboration. A number of contributions present design research exemplars, while others illuminate design research techniques or design research organisation. All papers were reviewed by at least two reviewers and the selection process was competitive. In total, 80 papers were submitted, out of which 35 were selected as full research papers (acceptance rate of 44%). Furthermore, ten submissions were accepted as short papers and presented as posters. The submissions came from authors located in 29 different countries, geographically distributed as follows: 59% of the authors are located in Europe, 32.5% in the Americas and 4.25% each in Asia and Australia.In conjunction with the main conference, DESRIST 2010 hosted three workshops on design, enterprise architecture management, and enterprise engineering. Papers accepted for CIAO! (one of these workshops) have been published in a separate volume of Springer's Lecture Notes in Business Information Processing series.In addition, three invited keynoters and four panels stimulated the discussions on new and emerging issues in line with the conference topics. The panels addressed the following topics: innovation in design science research, design for use, publishing design science research, and organising design science research. We are thankful for the fruitful and inspiring discussions and the interesting impulses for future relevant work in the field of design science research. We wish to thank all the people who submitted papers to the DESRIST 2010 conference for having shared their work with us. We sincerely hope that you find the papers as interesting and inspiring as we did. Moreover, we owe special thanks to all members of the programme committee of DESRIST 2010 as well as all reviewers for their work. We are also very appreciative to the many people who were involved in the organisation of the DESRIST conference and its accompanying events. We believe that DESRIST 2010 provided detailed insights into the current state of the art, set directions for fruitful further research initiatives and truly contributed to the transfer of academic knowledge for practical problem-solving.