Presentation at DESRIST 2013

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Using Empirical Knowledge and Studies in the
Frame of Design Science Research
Ilia Bider, Paul Johannesson, Erik Perjons - DSV SU
Pre-proceedings - http://bit.ly/13UzzhQ
Springer proceedings -
http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-38827-9_38
problem
situation as-is
situation to-be
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generic problem
generic situation to-be
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GP generic situation as-is
hypothesis
test case
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Goal
Enumerate (some) points of connection between:
Empirical Research (ER)
and
Design Science Research (DSR)

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Background
1. Inspired by S. Gregor’s presentation at SIG Philosophy
Workshop (at ICIS 2012) on the unification of design science
and social science research and the paper
Gregor, S. and Baskerville, R. (2012). The fusion of design science and social
science re-search. Information Systems Foundation Workshop, Canberra,
Australia, 13-14 Sept
2. The solution presented is based on our view on Design
Science Research (DSR) as a process of generating and
testing hypothesis for the adoption in practice.
Bider, I., Johannesson, P., and Perjons, E. 2012. "Design science research as
movement between individual and generic situation-problem-solution spaces," In
Baskerville R., De Marco, M., and Spagnoletti, P. (eds.) Organizational Systems.
An Interdisciplinary Discourse, Springer.

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Difference between DSR and (ER)
ER DSR
Timeline Past & Present Future
Aimed at Explaining the world as it
was or as it is
Suggesting a new world that
does not yet exist
Process Establishing facts and
developing theories that
explains these facts
Generating and testing
hypothesis for adoption
Relation to
practice
Follow practice Lead practice

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High-level connections between ER
&DSR
1. ER and/or results of previous ER studies are used
when designing and testing a new solution/artifact.
2. DSR creates a new reality that can be investigated
with ER methods. This happens after a
solution/artifact designed in a DSR project has
been adopted by practice.
3. DSR is used for creating tools/conducting
experiments inside ER projects.

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DSR process as movement
between the two worlds
problem
situation as-is
situation to-be
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0
generic situation as-is
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Main idea
1. Enumerate possible trajectories of movements in
DSR research projects in the “double worlds”
space
2. Analyse each movement of these trajectories on
what kind of ER-based data or ER research would
be beneficial, or required to successfully complete
this movement

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Example - Generic innovation
problem
situation as-is
situation to-be
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generic problem
generic situation to-be
t’
GP generic situation as-is
hypothesis
test case
t
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1. Identifying the situation and the problem in it that needs a solution (case study).
2. Generalizing the situation and the problem. (literature overview)
3. Designing a solution (using component from the literature/ Empirical
study of best practices)
4. Implementing it in the original specific situation.
5. Evaluating whether the problem has been solved (empirical study is required)

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Another example of generic
innovation
1. Identifying the situation and the problem in it that needs a solution (case study).
2. Generalizing the situation and the problem. (literature overview)
3. Designing a solution (using component from the literature/ Empirical
study of best practices)
4. Finding another test case (empirical study)
5. Implementing it in the newl specific situation.
6. Evaluating whether the problem has been solved (empirical study is required)

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Plans for the future
1. Catalogue possible trajectories of DSR research
projects in the “double worlds” space
2. Catalogue possible movements in these
trajectories
3. For each item in 2 define what ER-based
knowledge or studies could be benificial/required

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Contribution
1. Approach to solving the following problem:
Finding where in a DSR project it is appropriate or
required to conduct ER and/or use the results of
previous ER studies
2. Test of usefulness of the two worlds model of DSR
“A theory is a map”
Giere R. (2010) Scientific Perspectivism. University of Chicago Pressss

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Thank you for your attention!
Main Contact
Ilia Bider, DSV SU/IbisSoft
Email: ilia@{dsv.su,ibissoft}.se