Title: The emergence of design research in information systems in North America

Authors: William Kuechler, Vijay Vaishnavi

Addresses: Accounting and Information Systems, College of Business Administration, University of Nevada, Reno, USA. ' Computer Information Systems, Georgia State University, Georgia, USA

Abstract: Information Systems (IS) is a relatively new field of study that investigates information and communications technology (ICT) in organisational settings. Originally a branch of management science, IS became an independent field in the late 1960s. Only recently in North America has IS design research (ISDR) become a distinct line of inquiry within the field. This paper details the emergence of ISDR within North American IS research and outlines its current state. ISDR, as currently conceived in North America, is narrower in scope than design research in fields where it has a longer history. With reference to the literature, we expose directions of research highly germane to ISDR that are precluded by the current common understanding, which requires an artefact as the output of all design research efforts. We propose suggestions for relaxing this constraint on research output while still retaining a focus on research relevance and ICT artefacts.

Keywords: artefact research; information systems; ISDR; design research methods; design research philosophy; design science; information technology; communications; ICT; management information systems; MIS; research models; sciences of the artificial.

DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2008.019897

Journal of Design Research, 2008 Vol.7 No.1, pp.1 - 16

Published online: 14 Aug 2008 *

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