TJTJ7703 Design Science Research in Information Systems (3 cr)

This course focuses on planning and conducting design science research (DSR) on Ph.D. level. It is intended to provide state-of-the art methodological competences for all Ph.D. students whose research is not solely descriptive/explanatory, but also comprises components where artefacts are purposefully designed and evaluated. Required preparatory activities include reading and summarising two DSR papers and analysing a provided DSR case. In class we will discuss literature and case reflections, discuss shared insights of the lecturers from their experience in conducting and publishing DSR, and develop a group assignment that applies the discussed content. The course format offers an interactive learning experience and the unique opportunity to obtain individualized feedback from leading IS researchers as well as develop preliminary research designs for their own Ph.D. projects.

The goal of the course is to provide Ph.D. students with insights and capabilities that enable them to plan and conduct independent Design Science research. To achieve this goal, students will engage in a number of activities in preparation and during this course.

Preparation and Course Assignments:

It is essential that you engage in some preparation activities in order to successfully attend the course - and have your attendance certified and/or graded:

(a) Mandatory preparation assignment 1 : Developing a DSR project outline

In order to prepare for the week, we provide you with a design science research problem. We ask you to (i) analyse the design problem, (ii) sketch a problem solution and (iii) plan how to demonstrate and/or evaluate your design. Detailed instructions will be sent to you by e-mail three weeks before the course.

(b) Mandatory preparation assignment 2: Reading assignment and preparation of a short summary

We ask every participant to prepare one reading assignment comprised of two DSR papers. We have prepared eight literature packages for that purpose – see attached literature list. Together with the instructions for assignment 1, we ask you to state your preferences (which package is your 1st choice, 2nd choice, and 3rd choice) until two weeks before the course. We will then try to find a solution so that every participant is assigned one of his/her preferred packages.

As every package could be prepared by two participants, you may be chosen as a presenter (15 minutes) or a discussant of your respective package.

Course Assessment:

Assignment 1: 35%

Assignment 2: 30%

Take home exam: 35%

Literature Packages (Subject to Change):

Package 1: DSR as a paradigm

1) Gregor S and Hevner AR (2013) Positioning and Presenting Design Science Research for Maximum Impact. MIS Quarterly 37(2), 337-55.

2) Winter R (1998) Design Science Research in Europe. European Journal of Information Systems 17(5), 470-475.

Package 2: DSR process

1) Hevner AR, March ST, Park J and Ram S (2004) Design Science in Information Systems Research. MIS Quarterly 28(1), 75-105.

2) Peffers K, Tuunanen T, Rothenberger M and Chatterjee S (2007) A Design Science Research Methodology for Information Systems Research. Journal Of Management Information Systems 24(3), 45-77.

Package 3: Design theory

1) Baskerville, R.; Pries-Heje, J.: Explanatory Design Theory, in: Business & Information Systems Engineering, 2, 5, 2010, pp. 271-282.

2) Gregor S and Jones D (2007) The Anatomy of a Design Theory. Journal Of The Association For Information Systems 8(5), 312-335.

Package 4: Requirements analysis, State-of-the-art review, design objective

1) vom Brocke J, Simons A, Niehaves B, Riemer K, Plattfaut R and Cleven A (2009). Reconstructing the Giant: On the Importance of Rigour in Documenting the Literature Search Process. 17th European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS 2009), Verona, Italy. AIS electronic library.

2) Webster J and Watson RT (2002) Analyzing the past to prepare for the future - Writing a literature review. Management Information Systems Quarterly 26(2), xiii-xxiii.

Package 5: Ontologies, taxonomies

1) Nickerson R, Varshney U and Muntermann J (2013) A method for taxonomy development and its application in information systems, European Journal of Informatino Systems 22, 336.

2) vom Brocke J, Braccini A, Sonnenberg C and Spagnoletti P (2014) Living IT Infrastructures - An Ontology-based Approach to Aligning IT Infrastructure Capacity and Business Needs. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems 15(3), 246-274.

Package 6: Reference (process) models

1) Recker J, Rosemann M, van der Aalst W, Jansen-Vullers M and Dreiling A (2007) Configurable Reference Modeling Languages. In: Reference Modeling for Business Systems Analysis. Editors: P. Fettke and P. Loos, Hershey PA: IDEA Group, 22-46.

2) vom Brocke J (2007): Design Principles for Reference Models. Reusing Information Models by Aggregation, Specialisation, Instantiation, and Analogy. In: Reference Modeling for Business Systems Analysis, Editors: P. Fettke and P. Loos, Hershey PA: 47-75.

Package 7: Methods

1) Braun C, Wortmann F, Hafner M and Winter R (2005) Method Construction - A Core Approach to Organizational Engineering. in Applied Computing - Proceedings of the 2005 ACM Symposium on Applied Computing, (New York, NY, USA, 2005), ACM Press, 1295-1299.

2) Brinkkemper S (1996) Method engineering: engineering of information systems development methods and tools. Information and Software Technology 38, 275-280.

Package 8: DSR evaluation

1) Sonnenberg C and vom Brocke J (2012) Evaluations in the Science of the Artificial - Reconsidering the Build-Evaluate Pattern in Design Science Research. In Peffers K, Rothenberger M & Kuechler B (Eds.), Design Science Research in Information Systems. Advances in Theory and Practice. Proceedings of the 7th DESRIST Conference, Springer LNCS Vol. 7286, 381-397.

2) Venable J, Pries-Heje J and Baskerville RL (2016) FEDS: a framework for evaluation in design science research. European Journal of Information Systems 25(1), 77-89.