Publication
Tool-Support for Design Science Research: Design Principles and Instantiation
Jan vom Brocke; Peter Fettke; Michael Gau; Constantin Houy; Alexander Maedche; Stefan Morana; Stefan Seidel
In: SSRN Electronic Journal, Vol. May 2017, Pages 1-13, Elsevier, 5/2017.
Abstract
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 structuring and effectively managing DSR processes. In this article, we present a set of design principles for tool support for DSR processes along with a implementation of a tool (myDesignProcess.com). We argue that tool support for DSR should enable researchers and teams of researchers to structure, document, maintain, and present design science research, including the resulting design knowledge and artifacts. Such tool support can increase traceability, collaboration, and quality in DSR. We further illustrate the use of our prototypical implementation by applying it to published cases, and we suggest guidelines for using tools to manage design-oriented research.