Design science

Definition

• Design sciences related to disciplines that build things.

• See also: Design methodology

Key elements of design-oriented approaches

(according to Pertti Järvinen, 2004)

1. Technological rules
   • tell you how to do things and are dependant on other theories (and beliefs)
   • Bunge (quoted by Järvinen:99): "A technological rule: an instruction is defined as a chunk of general knowledge, linking an intervention or artifact with a desired outcome or performance in a certain field of application".
2. Types of outcomes (artifacts, interventions):
   • Constructs (or concept) form the " language " of a domain
   • Models are sets of propositions expressing relationships among constructs
   • Methods are a set of steps to perform a task (guidelines, algorithms)
   • Instantiations are realizations of an artifact in its environment
3. Types of research:
   • Build: Demonstrate feasibility of an artifact or intervention
   • Evaluate: Development of criteria, and assessment of both artifact building and artifact usage

What does this mean ?

• There are 4*2 ways to lead interesting design research.
• Usually, it's the not the program you build that is interesting, but something behind (constructs, models, methods) or around (usage).

Here is picture that shows some of the relationsships between elements of a design process:

• A researcher can investigate at least on of the dotted lines
• A technological rule, i.e. a theory on how to do things can be input, output or both in a research project.
• See instructional design models and instructional design method for designs and methods related to education.

References

• Pertti Järvinen: On Research Methods. Tampere: Opinpajan Kirja, ISBN 952-99233-1-7 .
  • Note: This seems to be the only useful methdology book related to design-oriented research. Very dense reading, but worth to buy, directly from here (no other place sells it): http://www.uta.fi/taju ... a small and friendly university bookshop (tested by me).