Design Science Research Project Research Articles

Designing TRiDS: Treatments for Risks in Design Science

Design Science Research (DSR) has many risks. Researchers inexperienced in DSR, especially early career researchers (ECRs) and research students (e.g. PhD students) risk inefficient projects (with delays, rework, etc.) at best and research project failure at worst if they do not manage and treat DSR risks in a proactive manner. The DSR literature, such as the Risk Management Framework for Design Science Research (RMF4DSR), provides advice for identifying risks, but provides few suggestions for specific treatments for the kinds of risks that potentially plague DSR. This paper describes the development of a new purposeful artefact (TRiDS: Treatments for Risks in Design Science) to address this lack of suggestions for treatment of DSR risks. The paper describes how the purposeful artefact was developed (following a DSR methodology), what literature it draws upon to inspire its various components, the functional requirements identified for TRiDS, and how TRiDS is structured and why. The paper also documents the TRiDS purposeful artefact in detail, including four main components: (1) an extended set of risk checklists (extended from RMF4DSR), (2) a set of 47 specific suggestions for treating known risks in DSR, (3) a classification of the treatments identified into 14 different categories, and (4) a look-up table for identifying candidate treatments based on a risk in the extended risk checklists. The treatment suggestions and guidance in TRiDS serve as a supplement to RMF4DSR by helping DSR researchers to identify treatments appropriate for a particular DSR project (or program) and thereby to improve DSR project efficiency and the probability of DSR project success.

Integrating HBIM models in the management of the public use of heritage buildings

The greatest challenge in managing public access to heritage buildings and ensuring the long-term feasibility of their reuse is to establish a sustainable relationship between visitors and assets. The aim of this paper is thus to identify the potential role of Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) for public use in heritage buildings. The study, which is part of a design science research project, limits its scope to the development of the two first stages of a comprehensive HBIM protocol for the public use of heritage, focusing on visitor management, programming preventative conservation, and heritage interpretation and dissemination to solve the difficulties detected in the management of these four areas. The methodology followed involves a literature review, case study analysis, interviews with stakeholders, field visits, and analysis of technical documents. Results indicate that HBIM can help to improve and optimize the management of the public use of historic buildings.

Construction of Design Science Research Questions

Posing research questions represents a fundamental step to guide and direct how researchers develop knowledge in research. In design science research (DSR), researchers need to pose research questions to define the scope and the modes of inquiry, characterize the artifacts, and communicate the contributions. Despite the importance of research questions, research provides few guidelines on how to construct suitable DSR research questions. We fill this gap by exploring ways of constructing DSR research questions and analyzing the research questions in a sample of 104 DSR publications. We found that about two-thirds of the analyzed DSR publications actually used research questions to link their problem statements to research approaches and that most questions focused on solving problems. Based on our analysis, we derive a typology of DSR question formulation to provide guidelines and patterns that help researchers formulate research questions when conducting their DSR projects.

Contracting outsourced services with collaborative key performance indicators

AbstractWhile service outsourcing may benefit from the application of performance‐based contracts (PBCs), the implementation of such contracts is usually challenging. Service performance is often not only dependent on supplier effort but also on the behavior of the buying firm. Existing research on performance‐based contracting provides very limited understanding on how this challenge may be overcome. This article describes a design science research project that develops a novel approach to buyer–supplier contracting, using collaborative key performance indicators (KPIs). Collaborative KPIs evaluate and reward not only the supplier contribution to customer performance but also the customer's behavior to enable this. In this way, performance‐based contracting can also be applied to settings where supplier and customer activities are interdependent, while traditional contracting theories suggest that output controls are not effective under such conditions. In the collaborative KPI contracting process, indicators measure both supplier and customer (buying firm) performance and promote collaboration by being defined through a collaborative process and by focusing on end‐of‐process indicators. The article discusses the original case setting of a telecommunication service provider experiencing critical problems in outsourcing IT services. The initial intervention implementing this contracting approach produced substantial improvements, both in performance and in the relationship between buyer and supplier. Subsequently, the approach was tested and evaluated in two other settings, resulting in a set of actionable propositions on the efficacy of collaborative KPI contracting. Our study demonstrates how defining, monitoring, and incentivizing the performance of specific processes at the buying firm can help alleviate the limitations of traditional performance‐based contracting when the supplier's liability for service performance is difficult to verify.

Design Science Research in Doctoral Projects: An Analysis of Australian Theses

Design science research (DSR) has gained popularity with doctoral students. In the information systems (IS) discipline, DSR is distinctive in that it creates knowledge through the design of novel or innovative artifacts and analyzes the artifacts’ use or performance. We present an analysis of 40 DSR doctoral theses completed in Australia between 2006-2017. Our purpose is to understand how DSR is applied by the IS community, and one critical source of information is the work of doctoral candidates. How candidates are guided by the literature, the artifacts produced, and their evaluation of the artifacts provide a window into this understanding. We selected the theses from the Australian national repository and analyzed their content. The findings suggest: (1) DSR is evolving and maturing in this cohort, but most candidates fail to enunciate and understand the underlying philosophy of their research approach; (2) the use of relevant guidance is still developing; and (3) the capacity of candidates to theorize about their work remains a challenge, possibly due to problems of scoping DSR projects and ensuing time constraints. In spite of their recognition and appreciation of the need for evaluating DSR artifacts, it is questionable whether doctoral candidates understand that the designs also require evaluation. As in many other areas of IS research, nomenclature in DSR remains problematic and the whole IS community should aim to create better consistency in this regard. This paper contributes toward our understanding of the challenges and advantages of DSR as a research approach for postgraduate studies and offers recommendations to the DSR community.

Using Text-to-Speech to Prototype Game Dialog

Voice acting is common in computer games in many genres. The recording and processing of voice acting is a time-consuming process that involves, for instance, voice actors, directors, audio engineers, and game writers. Changes to the script of a game after the voice acting has been recorded are expensive. At the same time, playtests of games without voice acting may give different results than testing where it is present. This creates a situation where improvements identified from play testing are either ignored or leads to extensive re-recording of voice acting. This article presents a design science research project where text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis is used as a substitute for recorded voice acting in the early stages of game production. We propose a set of design principles that have been evaluated in a sharp game production. Our results indicate several benefits of using TTS as a prototyping tool: It can be a source of inspiration for game writers, it gives good estimations on timing and pacing of the game, and it allows for early tests of how the dialog will be perceived by players. The quality and characteristics of the voices provided by the TTS system play an important role in this process. The rapid development in the speech technology field opens many future possibilities.

A software artefact to support standard-based process assessment: Evolution of the TIPA® framework in a design science research project

Managing processes remain a key challenge for most organizations which need to preserve competitiveness. Process assessment frameworks can help by providing instruments guiding process improvement and regulation alignment. Several process assessment frameworks such as TIPA® are based on the ISO Process assessment standard series ISO/IEC 15504, currently revised in the ISO/IEC 330xx family of standards. Following a Design Science Research (DSR) methodology, this paper visits the TIPA Framework evolution throughout iterative cycles in terms of design, rigour and relevance. It investigates how original and new artefacts are being developed and improved, in particular the new strategic move towards the automation of the assessment process represented by a new software artefact. By demonstrating the evolution of the TIPA framework using a DSR perspective combined with Action Design Research for the new software artefact, this paper explicates design knowledge regarding the role and value of the framework within the ISO standards community and in practice.

Benefits and relevance of International Standards in a design science research project for process assessments

One critical challenge in IT Service Management (ITSM) process assessment is the issue of transparency in the way ITSM processes are assessed. A Design Science Research (DSR) project was executed to design, develop and evaluate an artefact in order to conduct software-mediated process assessments in ITSM. International Standards were used to validate the design, development and evaluation of the research artefact in order to demonstrate that the artefact is relevant to practice. Studies relating to the use of International Standards to validate DSR artefacts are scant regardless of broader adoption of the DSR studies and acceptance of the International Standards in practice. DSR studies in particular are required to maintain a balance between research rigor and relevance by reporting artefacts that solve a class of problems based on scientific justification and practical evidence. International Standards provide bodies of knowledge that ensure products, services and processes are of acceptable quality and relevant to practice. Our DSR project confirmed that the external validity of an artefact can be improved with the use of International Standards. Using three International Standards, process assessment ISO/IEC 15504-330xx series, IT Service Management ISO/IEC 20000 series, and System and Software Quality Models from ISO/IEC 25010, this manuscript presents an account of a DSR project with three evaluation sites where the artefact was tested in real organizational contexts. The project demonstrated the significant role of International Standards to confirm research relevance during artefact design, development and evaluation.

An information system design theory for the comparative judgement of competences

A Design Science Research project is presented, describing the creation of an Information System for the assessment of human competences while supporting learning. First, requirements that emanate from current mainstream competence evaluation practice are introduced. Then, design principles are presented to address the design requirements. Finally, design features are discussed that represent a concrete instantiation of the design principles in a working system prototype. The output of the design, development, and evaluation of the artefact are presented as an Information Systems Design Theory. This theory provides principles that can be applied in different contexts where the evaluation of competences is needed.

From Ignorance Map to Informing PKM4E Framework: Personal Knowledge Management for Empowerment

Aim/Purpose: The proposed Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) for Empowerment (PKM4E) Framework expands on the notions of the Ignorance Map and Matrix to support the educational and informing concept of a PKM system-in-progress. Background: The accelerating information abundance is depleting the very attention our cognitive capabilities are able to master, contributing to widening individual and collective opportunity divides. Support is urgently needed to benefit Knowledge Workers irrespective of space (developed/developing countries), time (study or career phase), discipline (natural or social science), or role (student, professional, leader). Methodology: The Design Science Research (DSR) project conceptualizing the PKM System (PKMS) aims to support a scenario of a ‘Decentralizing KM Revolution’ giving more power and autonomy to individuals and self-organized groups. Contribution: The informing-science-related approach synthesizes and visualizes concepts related to ignorance and entropy, learning and innovation, chance discovery and abduction to inform diverse audiences and potential beneficiaries. Findings: see Recommendation for Researchers Recommendations for Practitioners: The PKM4E learning cycles and workflows apply ‘cumulative synthesis’, a concept which convincingly couples the activities of researchers and entrepreneurs and assists users to advance their capability endowments via applied learning. Recommendation for Researchers: In substituting document-centric with meme-based knowledge bases, the PKMS approach merges distinctive voluntarily shared knowledge objects/assets of diverse disciplines into a single unified digital knowledge repository and provides the means for advancing current metrics and reputation systems. Impact on Society: The PKMS features provide the means to tackle the widening opportunity divides by affording knowledge workers with continuous life-long support from trainee, student, novice, or mentee towards professional, expert, mentor, or leader. Future Research: After completing the test phase of the PKMS prototype, its transformation into a viable PKM system and cloud-based server based on a rapid development platform and a noSQL-database is estimated to take 12 months.

Tool Support for Design Science Research—Towards a Software Ecosystem: A Report from a DESRIST 2017 Workshop

The information systems (IS) field contains a rich body of knowledge on approaches, methods, and frameworks that supports researchers in conducting design science research (DSR). It also contains some consensus about the key elements of DSR projects—such as problem identification, design, implementation, evaluation, and abstraction of design knowledge. Still, we lack any commonly accepted tools that address the needs of DSR scholars who seek to structure, manage, and present their projects. Indeed, DSR endeavors, which are often complex and multi-faceted in nature and involve various stakeholders (e.g., researchers, developers, practitioners, and others), require the support that such tools provide. Thus, to investigate the tools that DSR scholars actually need to effectively and efficiently perform their work, we conducted an open workshop with DSR scholars at the 2017 DESRIST conference in Karlsruhe, Germany, to debate 1) the general requirement categories of DSR tool support and 2) the more specific requirements. This paper reports on the results from this workshop. Specifically, we identify nine categories of requirements that fall into the three broad phases (pre-design, design, and post design) and that contribute to a software ecosystem for supporting DSR endeavors.

Value-Driven Strategic Sourcing Based on Service-Dominant Logic

Currently, procurement is approached as a tactical process focused on spend management. The aim of this process is the identification of cost savings. A new paradigm of procurement is emerging that recognizes procurement as a value creation practice. This paradigm, referred to as value-driven strategic sourcing, lacks instruments for implementation. This paper presents a new conceptual modeling approach for exploring and evaluating sourcing alternatives that is based on a systemic view of value cocreation. Our approach, called CARS (which stands for capability, actor, resource, and service), is the result of a design science research project. This paper presents the underlying conceptualization of CARS, which was constructed through a mapping between service ecosystem concepts grounded in service-dominant logic and the viable system approach and strategic sourcing concepts derived from the resource-based view theory of competitive advantage, the dynamic capability theory, and the relational view theory of cooperation and competition. Apart from presenting the theoretical foundation of CARS, we also demonstrate by means of a case study of sustainable procurement in a global materials technology company how a model-based approach based on CARS helps in implementing value-driven strategic sourcing. The case study provides a proof of concept of the potential utility of our approach as it addresses specific problems with the company’s current procurement practices.

Tool-Support for Design Science Research: Design Principles and Instantiation

Design Science Research (DSR) is now an accepted research paradigm in the Information Systems (IS) field, aiming at developing purposeful IT artifacts and knowledge about the design of IT artifacts. A rich body of knowledge on approaches, methods, and frameworks supports researchers in conducting DSR projects. While methodological guidance is abundant, there is little support and guidance for documenting and effectively managing DSR processes. In this article, we present a set of design principles for tool support for DSR processes along with a prototypical implementation (MyDesignProcess.com). We argue that tool support for DSR should enable researchers and teams of researchers to structure, document, maintain, and present DSR, including the resulting design knowledge and artifacts. Such tool support can increase traceability, collaboration, and quality in DSR. We illustrate the use of our prototypical implementation by applying it to published cases, and we suggest guidelines for using tools to effectively manage design-oriented research.

Towards Design Principles for Aligning Human-Centered Service Systems and Corresponding Business Models

To benefit from service innovation the service system and the corresponding business model (BM) have to be adapted or developed. Unfortunately, there are no guidelines that ensure that both development streams match, include, and align the same value for the customer. Therefore, we conduct a design science research (DSR) project, in which we develop design principles that guide the alignment between the two concepts of service systems and BMs via the value proposition. We build the design principles based on existing research in service design and BMs, and apply them in the field of human-centered service systems (HCSSs). The preliminary artifact shows that the design principles relate to concrete problems from both research streams. In conclusion, this research-in-progress will contribute to existing knowledge in combining the two research streams of service systems and BM research, and offer practitioners assistance for the systematic design of HCSSs and their corresponding BMs.

Technology for Small Scale Farmers in Tanzania: A Design Science Research Approach

AbstractSmall 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.

Personal Knowledge Management for Development (PKM4D) Framework and its Application for People Empowerment

Recent suggestions urge advancing Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) to provide the overdue support tools for individuals in the envisaged Knowledge Societies. To point out essential issues to be addressed, the paper proposes a PKM for Development (PKM4D) framework as a substantial extension of a current framework focusing on ICT4D (Information and Communications Technologies for Development). Closely aligned to Maslow's Extended Hierarchy of Needs, it allows for a differentiated assessment of knowledge management related innovations and interventions and their impact on six ecosystems related to technology, extelligence, society, knowledge workers, institutions, and the ideosphere. The framework is a spin-off of a design science research project aiming to introduce a novel PKM concept and system. The objective of this paper is to provide a motivation and more general narrative for employing the PKM4D framework in other developmental contexts in order to address opportunity divides independent of space (e.g. developed/developing countries), time (e.g. study or career phase), discipline (e.g. natural or social science), or role (e.g. student, professional, or leader).With a prototype about to be converted into a viable PKM system (PKMS) and in following up on prior concept and design related articles, the PKMS is not the prime focus of attention but serves as an example case of a novel intervention to be assessed and validated by applying the PKM4D framework and its twelve criteria.

Work System Theory as a Platform: Response to a Research Perspective Article by Niederman and March

In this paper, I respond to “Moving the Work System Theory Forward” (Niederman & March, 2014), a JAIS research perspective paper about another paper on work system theory (Alter, 2013e). The research perspective paper recognizes value in the work system approach, suggests that WST is not a proper theory, and suggests areas for related theory development. After summarizing the main ideas in WST, I explain disagreements between Niederman and March (2014) and Alter (2013e)— (hereafter called N&M and the WST paper) about what WST is and what WST should become. I note that N&M interprets basic ideas in WST differently than the WST paper defines them. I note that N&M’s critique of WST is anchored in issues about the nature of theory, especially a preference for Gregor’s type 4 theory. I explain that WST is a special case of general system theory and, as such, should not and cannot take the form of a theory that expresses relationships between independent variables, moderating variables, and dependent variables. I also explain why the WST paper called WST a theory when it might have been called something else, and also why the WST paper does not treat the development of the work system method (WSM) as a design science research project. Lastly, I respond directly to N&M’s title, “Moving the Work System Theory Forward” by explaining that WST is becoming a platform for applications and extensions in IS and other disciplines, which I illustrate with examples under five categories.

Designing to Inform: Toward Conceptualizing Practitioner Audiences for Socio-technical Artifacts in Design Science Research in the Information Systems Discipline

This paper identifies areas in the design science research (DSR) subfield of the information systems (IS) discipline where a more detailed consideration of practitioner audiences of socio-technical design artifacts could improve current IS DSR research practice and proposes an initial conceptualization of these audiences. The consequences of not considering artifact audiences are identified through a critical appraisal of the current informing science lenses in the IS DSR literature. There are specific shortcomings in four areas: 1) treating practice stakeholders as a too homogeneous group, 2) not explicitly distinguishing between social and technical parts of socio-technical artifacts, 3) neglecting implications of the artifact abstraction level, and 4) a lack of explicit consideration of a dynamic or evolutionary fitness perspective of socio-technical artifacts. The findings not only pave the way for future research to further improve the conceptualization of artifact audiences, in order to improve the informing power – and thus, impact on practice and research relevance – of IS DSR projects; they can also help to bridge the theory-practice gap in other disciplines (e.g. computer science, engineering, or policy-oriented sociology) that seek to produce social and/or technical artifacts of practical relevance.

An analysis of fundamental concepts in the conceptual framework using ontology technologies

The interpretation of financial data obtained from the accounting process for reporting purposes is regulated by financial accounting standards (FAS). The history and mechanisms used for the development of ʻThe Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting’ (the Conceptual Framework) as well as the financial accounting standards resulted in impressive volumes of material that guides modern financial reporting practices, but unfortunately, as is often the case with textual manuscripts, it contains descriptions that are vague, inconsistent or ambiguous. As part of the on-going initiatives to improve International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) promotes the development of principle-based IFRS, which aim to address the problems of vagueness, inconsistency and ambiguity. This paper reports on the findings of a design science research (DSR) project that, as artefact, developed a first version ontology-based formal language representing the definitions of asset, liability and equity (the fundamental elements of the statement of financial position as defined in the Conceptual Framework) through the application of knowledge representation (ontology) techniques as used within computing. We suggest that this artefact may assist with addressing vagueness, inconsistencies and ambiguities within the definitions of the Conceptual Framework. Based on our findings, we include suggestions for the further development of a formal language and approach to assist the formulation of the Conceptual Framework. The project focuses on the Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting after the incorporation of Phase A in the convergence project between the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and IASB.

Improving service of online health information provision: A case of usage-driven design for health information portals

Health information portals (HIPs) are now well-established channels for providing reliable and relevant health information as a service to health information consumers. The concept of a smart health information portal was proposed to improve the search experience of HIP users, advancing HIPs learning capability by looking at usage data. This paper describes a design-science research project which utilized insights from usage data to address search issues. A conceptual approach and an architecture to enable usage-driven capability are described. We propose two specific applications, a HIP-specific content issue reporting tool and a topic search feature, to demonstrate how usage data can enhance HIP operations and users' search experience. Based on the demonstrated implementations and empirical analysis, this paper also discusses how usage-driven design can lead to improved service in online health information provision.