Design science

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Definition

  • Design sciences related to disciplines that build things.

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:

Design Research Overview.gif

  • 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 J�rvinen: On Research Methods. Tampere: Opinpajan Kirja, ISBN 952-99233-1-7 . Note: The seems to be the only useful methdology book related to design-oriented research. Very dense reading, but worth to buy here: