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Design science research methodology in Computer Science and Information

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Article  in  International Journal of Information Technology · November 2016

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 DESIGN SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY IN COMPUTER SCIENCE AND
INFORMATION SYSTEMS

DESMOND BALA BISANDU

Introduction

Design Science Research Methodology constitute of two compounds words the “Design
Science” and “Research Methodology” to better understand this concepts and further relate them
to Information Systems and Computer Science research as a methodology, we have to
understand what these compound words are before explaining what relevant literatures are
saying about Design Science Research Methodology in the computer Science and the
Information Systems research. Firstly we will look at some definition and a little explanation of
the terms “Design Science” and “Research Methodology”.

Design Science is coin in 1957 by R. Buckminster Fuller, and is seen as a systematic type of
designing and is concern with knowledge acquisition that relate to designs and its activity
(Alturki, Gable, & Bandara, 2011). Design Science lays emphasis on the a systematic , testable
and communicable methods(Gacenga, Cater-Steel, Toleman, & Tan, 2012). Design Science is
also seen as an outcome base methodology which offer a specific guide to for evaluation and
iteration within a projects(“Wikipedia, Design science (methodology),” 2016). The design
science as a paradigm has its root in engineering and science of the artifact, its fundamentally on
solving problem through creative innovations which define the ideas, practices, technical
capabilities, and products in which analysis, design, implementation, and information system use
which can be effectively and efficiently reached(Ayanso, Lertwachara, & Vachon, 2011).

Research Methodology this is seen is concern with a way of thinking on a and studying a specific
phenomenon of interest by a researchers(Alturki, Gable, & Bandara, 2013). Research
methodology is also seen as an action plan, strategy, process, or design laying, behind the choice
of and methods and linking the choice of methods use (Alturki et al., 2013). This just a little of
definition from the many views of different authors in the Information Science, and Computer
Science next we will conduct an explanation of the concept.

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 Literature Review on Design Science Research (DSR) Methodology in Information
Systems, and Computer Science

Design Science Research (DSR) creates and evaluate IT artifact intended to solve the identified
organizational problems(Gacenga et al., 2012). Design Science Research (DSR), has been seen
to constitute the third form of science “Artificial” in addition to the natural sciences and the
human sciences(Alturki et al., 2013). Also it is seen as a research activity that build new or
invents, innovate artifacts for problems solving or improvement attainment such new innovative
artifact create a new reality, rather than the existing reality been explain or trying to make sense
from it, it creates, and evaluates IT artifact which is intended to solve some identified
organizational problems(Alturki et al., 2013). The Design Science Research Methodology is
relatively a new approach in the field of Information Systems , and Computer Science because of
it prominence rapid growth in the discipline(Alturki et al., 2013). Bayazit, (2004) also define
Design Science Research Methodology as a systematic inquiry which goal is knowledge of,
configuration embodiment, structure, composition, purpose, value, and meaning in man made
things and systems. Design Science Research Methodology basic logic of discovery is deductive,
because an unsolved problem is taking and tries to find a justificatory knowledge or a kernel
theory which help in solving the problem(Piirainen & Gonzalez, 2014).

Design Science Research Methodology (DSR) is seen as the other side of IS research cycle that
creates, evaluates information Technology artifacts intended to solve problems identified in an
organization (Hevner R., Salvator T., Jinsoo Park, & Sudha Ram, 2004). In IS design science
research is seen represent the most important aspect of the Information System(IS) research
landscape(Gleasurea, 2015). To further understand the (DSR) as an IS research methodology, a
dichotomy must be faced, by seeing it as both process(set of activities), and a product (artifact)
both verb and noun, it describe the world as acted upon(processes) and the world as
sensed(artifact)(Hevner R. et al., 2004). Research in Information systems is subject to people,
business organization, and their planned or existing technology(Hevner R. et al., 2004). The
Design science research goal is utility and behavioral science research goal is truth, both design
and behavioral research are inseparable, where the truth informs design and utility informs
theory(Hevner R. et al., 2004). Furthermore in the design science research, mathematical

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methods and computational methods are primarily use to evaluate the effectiveness and quality
of the artifacts; with empirical techniques been employ(Hevner R. et al., 2004). Design science
research contribution in Information Systems is measure in the way it is apply to business needs
in an appropriate environment and in ways in which it add to content of knowledge base for
further research and practice, and artifact solve existing problem, therefore there is no justify
theory which is not useful to for the environment contributes little to the IS literature as an
artifact the solve nonexistent problems(Hevner R. et al., 2004). Notwithstanding there is an issue
that must be address in the design research methodology which is the routine design/system
building from design research, the difference between these two are the nature of problem and
the solutions, in IS research design science research addresses problems considered as the
“wicked” problems(Hevner R. et al., 2004). These “wicked” problems are said to occur in vast
and complex interconnected socio- technical systems which observation can’t be apply with the
outcomes of specific actions to predict(Gleasurea, 2015; Bisandu et al., 2018). These problems
are characterized by the following;
 Unstable requirements and constraints based upon ill-defined environmental context
 complex interactions among subcomponents of the problem and its solution
 flexibility is inherent to change processes of design as well as design artifacts (malleable
artifacts, and it processes)
 a critical dependence upon human cognitive abilities (e.g., creativity) to produce effective
solutions
 human social abilities is a critical dependence upon (example, teamwork) to produce
solutions that are effective
Hevner R. et al.,(2004) proposed a guideline in Design Science Research in Information System ,
these guidelines are as follows;

 Guideline 1: Design as an Artifact: Design-science research must produce a viable

artifact in the form of a construct, a representation, a technique, or an instantiation of.
 Guideline 2: The Relevance of Problem: The basic objective of design-science research
is to develop technology-based solutions to important and relevant business problems.

3
  Guideline 3: The Design Evaluation: The utility, the quality, and the efficacy of the
design artifact must be demonstrated rigorously through a well-executed evaluation
methods.
 Guideline 4: Research Contribution: Effective design-science research must offer a clear
and provable contributions in the areas which design artifact is apply, design foundations,
and/or design methodologies.
 Guideline 5: Research Rigo: The Design-science research depends upon rigorous
methods application in both evaluation and the construction of the design artifact.
 Guideline 6: Design as a Search Process: The search for effective artifact depend the
utilization of the available ways to reach desired outputs while the laws in the problem
environment are still satisfy.
 Guideline 7: Communication of Research: Design-science research presentation must be
effective both the technology-oriented as well as the management-oriented consultation.

Design Science Research have been to have other siblings known as it branches of
research(Johannesson, Perjons, & Bider, 2013). The branches are all the different areas in which
the research methodology is been applied and the branches are as follows below;
Natural Science, Social Science, Formal Science, and Design Science(Johannesson et al., 2013).
According to Johannesson et al., (2013) Natural Science has to do with the studies of
phenomenon of nature, including biological and physical phenomena. Another is the Social
Science which is the study of the social behavior of societies and humans, and this natural and
science are the empirical science with the goal of coming from the positivist perspective to
describe and explain the world existence regardless of been bias and the interest of
humans(Johannesson et al., 2013). Beside the empirical science the formal science also exist
including the Mathematics, Logic, and Statistics(Johannesson et al., 2013). The deference
between this and the empirical is the method of verifications in which this use the proof method
of verification rather than the empirical methods(Johannesson et al., 2013). Design Science in
itself is seeing as an sibling of an actions research(Johannesson et al., 2013).
Conclusion
The Design Science Research Methodology has found a very good ground as a method in the
Information Science and Computer Science, because it is a method that works with human,

4
organizational social kind of problem solving through artifact development(Hevner R. et al.,
2004).

REFERENCE

Alturki, A., Gable, G. G., & Bandara, W. (2011). A design science research roadmap. In International
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Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-20633-7_8
Alturki, A., Gable, G. G., & Bandara, W. (2013). The design science research roadmap: in progress
evaluation. PACIS 2013 Proceedings. Retrieved from http://eprints.qut.edu.au/61626/
Ayanso, A., Lertwachara, K., & Vachon, F. (2011). Design and behavioral science research in premier IS
journals: evidence from database management research. In International Conference on Design
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http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-20633-7_10
Bayazit, N. (2004). Investigating design: A review of forty years of design research. Design Issues, 20(1),
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Bisandu, D. B., Prasad, R., & Liman, M. M. (2018). Clustering news articles using efficient similarity
measure and N-grams. International Journal of Knowledge Engineering and Data Mining, 5(4), 333-
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text mining using dynamic programming, International Journal of Information Systems and
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Design science (methodology). (2016, August 10). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from
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Gacenga, F., Cater-Steel, A., Toleman, M., & Tan, W.-G. (2012). A proposal and evaluation of a design
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Gleasurea, R. (2015). When is a problem a design science problem? Systems, Signs & Actions, 9(1), 9–25.
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 Johannesson, P., Perjons, E., & Bider, I. (2013). What are the siblings of design science research? In SIG
Prag Workshop on IT Artefact Design & Workpractice Improvement (p. 118). Retrieved from
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Piirainen, K. A., & Gonzalez, R. A. (2014). Constructive synergy in design science research: a comparative
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