Description

Design science research (DSR) focuses on providing innovative solution knowledge to complex and hitherto unsolved problems. Identifying both relevant problems and unique solutions require in-depth understanding of the problem domain and potential solution technologies. Incipient sources of knowledge provide the means to find such important design problems, evaluate their relevance, and create innovative, tentative designs to tackle these problems. However, current DSR literature provides little guidance for identification, selection, and consumption of incipient knowledge. In this paper, we, therefore, set out to identify and analyze the incipient sources of knowledge in DSR with the help of a comprehensive literature review. Our work could thereby serve as a starting point for further exploration of the nature of design science knowledge and help to create novel guidelines and research processes that guide the selection and utilization of incipient DSR knowledge sources.

Share

COinS
 

A Good Beginning Makes a Good Ending: Incipient Sources of Knowledge in Design Science Research

Design science research (DSR) focuses on providing innovative solution knowledge to complex and hitherto unsolved problems. Identifying both relevant problems and unique solutions require in-depth understanding of the problem domain and potential solution technologies. Incipient sources of knowledge provide the means to find such important design problems, evaluate their relevance, and create innovative, tentative designs to tackle these problems. However, current DSR literature provides little guidance for identification, selection, and consumption of incipient knowledge. In this paper, we, therefore, set out to identify and analyze the incipient sources of knowledge in DSR with the help of a comprehensive literature review. Our work could thereby serve as a starting point for further exploration of the nature of design science knowledge and help to create novel guidelines and research processes that guide the selection and utilization of incipient DSR knowledge sources.