IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/now/fntisy/2900000028.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Knowledge Paths in Design Science Research

Author

Listed:
  • Andreas Drechsler
  • Alan Hevner

Abstract

Ralph Waldo Emerson brilliantly said, “Life is a journey, not a destination.†As researchers, we travel on paths of knowledge throughout life. The outcomes of rigorous scientific investigation are contributions of new knowledge to the world. By integrating the conceptual and methodological advice of extant design science research (DSR) publications, this review provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the roles of knowledge in DSR journeys. We position DSR at the intersection of science and technology where the interplay of descriptive and prescriptive knowledge is most active. We delineate the various forms of prescriptive design knowledge and we examine the knowledge paths that utilize and produce the varied forms of knowledge in a DSR project. Six knowledge paths describe how knowledge is manipulated in different ways to grow new design knowledge (e.g., artifacts, design theories). We apply this framework to define, analyze, and expand the ideas of knowledge gaps and knowledge journeys. We further argue that more attention to design postulates (e.g., design principles, design features) in DSR along the outlined knowledge paths can contribute to an increase in actionable and sustainably useful and impactful digital innovations within the information systems(IS) discipline.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas Drechsler & Alan Hevner, 2022. "Knowledge Paths in Design Science Research," Foundations and Trends(R) in Information Systems, now publishers, vol. 6(3), pages 171-243, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:now:fntisy:2900000028
    DOI: 10.1561/2900000028
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1561/2900000028
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1561/2900000028?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joan E. van Aken, 2004. "Management Research Based on the Paradigm of the Design Sciences: The Quest for Field‐Tested and Grounded Technological Rules," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 41(2), pages 219-246, March.
    2. Youngjin Yoo & Ola Henfridsson & Kalle Lyytinen, 2010. "Research Commentary ---The New Organizing Logic of Digital Innovation: An Agenda for Information Systems Research," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 21(4), pages 724-735, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tobias Wulfert, 2023. "Boundary resource management in innovation ecosystems: The case of e-commerce," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-27, December.
    2. Raffaele Fabio Ciriello & Alexander Richter, 2019. "Scenario-Based Design Theorizing," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 61(1), pages 31-50, February.
    3. Raffaele Fabio Ciriello & Alexander Richter & Gerhard Schwabe, 2018. "Digital Innovation," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 60(6), pages 563-569, December.
    4. Swen Nadkarni & Reinhard Prügl, 2021. "Digital transformation: a review, synthesis and opportunities for future research," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 71(2), pages 233-341, April.
    5. CHEN, Helen S.Y., 2020. "Designing Sustainable Humanitarian Supply Chains," OSF Preprints m82ar, Center for Open Science.
    6. Muhammad Farooq Islam & Ozge Can, 2024. "Integrating digital and sustainable entrepreneurship through business models: a bibliometric analysis," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    7. Mina Nasiri & Minna Saunila & Tero Rantala & Juhani Ukko, 2022. "Sustainable innovation among small businesses: The role of digital orientation, the external environment, and company characteristics," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 703-712, August.
    8. Jean-Michel Sahut & Luca Iandoli & Frédéric Teulon, 2021. "The age of digital entrepreneurship," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1159-1169, February.
    9. Zhewei Zhang & Youngjin Yoo & Kalle Lyytinen & Aron Lindberg, 2021. "The Unknowability of Autonomous Tools and the Liminal Experience of Their Use," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 32(4), pages 1192-1213, December.
    10. Baran Grzegorz, 2020. "Social Innovation Living Labs as Platforms to Co-design Social Innovations," Journal of Intercultural Management, Sciendo, vol. 12(1), pages 36-57, March.
    11. Panourgias, Nikiforos S. & Nandhakumar, Joe & Scarbrough, Harry, 2014. "Entanglements of creative agency and digital technology: A sociomaterial study of computer game development," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 111-126.
    12. Satish Nambisan & Yadong Luo, 2021. "Toward a loose coupling view of digital globalization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(8), pages 1646-1663, October.
    13. Ferreira, Joao J. & Fernandes, Cristina I. & Veiga, Pedro Mota & Caputo, Andrea, 2022. "The interactions of entrepreneurial attitudes, abilities and aspirations in the (twin) environmental and digital transitions? A dynamic panel data approach," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    14. Lauslahti, Kristian & Mattila, Juri & Seppälä, Timo, 2016. "Smart Contracts – How will Blockchain Technology Affect Contractual Practices?," ETLA Reports 57, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    15. Markus Menz & Sven Kunisch & Julian Birkinshaw & David J. Collis & Nicolai J. Foss & Robert E. Hoskisson & John E. Prescott, 2021. "Corporate Strategy and the Theory of the Firm in the Digital Age," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(7), pages 1695-1720, November.
    16. Raffaele Fabio Ciriello & Alexandra Cecilie Gjøl Torbensen & Magnus Rotvit Perlt Hansen & Christoph Müller-Bloch, 2023. "Blockchain-based digital rights management systems: Design principles for the music industry," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 33(1), pages 1-21, December.
    17. Deist, Maximilian K. & McDowell, William C. & Bouncken, Ricarda B., 2023. "Digital units and digital innovation: Balancing fluidity and stability for the Creation, Conversion, and Dissemination of sticky knowledge," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    18. Coskun-Setirek, Abide & Tanrikulu, Zuhal, 2021. "Digital innovations-driven business model regeneration: A process model," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    19. Yen Sheng Tsai & Wei-Hsi Hung, 2023. "A low-cost intelligent tracking system for clothing manufacturers," Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 473-491, February.
    20. Zhou, Zhongsheng & Li, Zhuo, 2023. "Corporate digital transformation and trade credit financing," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:now:fntisy:2900000028. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Lucy Wiseman (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nowpublishers.com/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.