ICT- DESIGN SCIENCE ARTICLES
(c) Raimo Hälinen 2013
Research opportunities
Learning and skills Business value sought
Value creation cabability
Unidentified Identified
Unidentified(How we can learn?)
Dreams (I)New technological standardsNew technological systemsNew technical hardwareNew software tools and language
Problem solving (II)Business problems and technical solutionsApplied technological solutions
Defined(How we can apply, what we know?)
Technology transfer (III)Transfering technology from business area to other branchesMigration process form old software to new software and new systems and new hardware.Technological ecosystems
Business formation (IV)New business ideaHow to create value-added processes and servicesNew production and service consepts
Source: modfied from Ardichvili et al. (2003)
The research cycle
Theory
Deductive reasoning
Data
Inductive reasoning
The theoretical research cycle describes a genera process, how a research can develop a theory by starting accepted theory and creating research setting based on theory and creating testable hypotheses. Gathering research data using by suitable data-gathering technique, a researcher can analyze the collected data and produce the results that can be used to inductive reasoning for develop a new theory, a modified theory or falsify the current theory.
Starting from theory anddeveloping hyphoteses
Demonstrating andtesting hypotheses Designing study prosess and
how to collect data
Reflecting and learning.Drawing conclusions.Proposing new theory oradding something newto current theory orrejecting current theory
The model and units for theory development
Personal traitscreativityoptimism
skills
Social networksweak tiesaction set
partnershipinner circle
Enterpreneurial alertness
Prior knowledgeDomain one (special interest)Domain two (industry knowledge)Knowledge of marketsKnowledge of information technologyKnowledge of services and ways to organize services
Core process
PerceptionDiscoveryCreation
Development
Evaluation
Subsequent business
Vernture formationAbortion
Type of opportunity
Theories and functionsTheories and functions
Descriptive
Delimiting Generative Integrative
Dubin’s hypothetico-deductive theory
The descriptive function explain why the phenomena exists. It is a causal explanation.
The delimiting function puts boundaries what is examined. According to Whetten who, when and where are relevant questions.
The function tends to inspire new research thereby expanding the existing body of knowledge. Whetten’s what and how combination produces models (theory) can be used to produce testable proposals.
The function seeks to provide a coherent unified picture of often diverse and at timeless seemingly facts. Whetten’s what question tries to answer how to integrate knowledge.
Inductive grounded theory
Meta-analytical theory
Social constructionist theory
Case study theory
Habermas’ typology: empirical-analytical, interpretive and critical theoryHeinen’s typology: inductive-synthesis and hierarchical theory (hypothetico-decuctuve)Järvinen P.’s typology: Approachers studying reality: What is reality and utility of innovation, and mathematical approachers.
Types of induction
Source: Tsang and Williams (2012)
Theory
Sample
Particular instance
Same population
Different population
Different context
Different time
TheoreticalGeneralization
Deduction
InductiveAnalogy
Statistical syllogism
Temporal Generalization
ContextualGenralization
Cross-populationGeneralization
Within-populationGeneralization
Locationof the sample
Setting ofthe study
Theoretical level
Empirical level
Yin’s model of generalization
Theory Rival theory
Population characteristics
Case study findings
Experimental findings
Sample Subjects
Source: modifed from Yin (1994)
Level-2inference
Level-1inference
Writing case studies
ChoronlogyRepresentation: Logical sequenceNature: Set of ordered factsRole: AnalystPostion: Absent or separatedFormat: LinearTime flow: unlinear
BiographyPortrait of a lifeBased on facts and experienceSelective writerPresent and not separatedMultiple formatsLinearThematic
PlayDrama storyBased on factsDirector of the playAbsent or separatedMultilinear to one outcomeMultiple lines to one end-point
VoicesInteractive complexityMeaningful and consistent social constructionsFacilitatorPresent and not separatedNon-linear, interactive, decentralizedMultiple times
Reduction
Multi-logueMonologue
Complexity Source: Van Der Blonk (2003)
Taxonomy of Experiments
Types of experiment
Descriptions
Field experiment A study in which an intervention is deliberately introduced to observe its effects.
Randomized experiment
An experiment in which units are assigned to receive the treatment or an alternative conditions by random process. (toss a coin or random numbers)
Quasi-experiment An experiment in which units are not assigned to conditions randomly.
Natural experiment Cause cannot be manipulated, study that contrasts a naturally occuring events.
Correlational studies A study that simply observes the size and direction of relationship among variables.
Source: Shadish, Cook and Campbell ()
Criteria for research article on Information System Research (ISR)
Criteria for evaluating the publishability of a research article includes:
Is the phenomenon of salient interest to the information systems community?
Are the connections to the literature and relevant theories robust?
Is the theoretical model appropriate and compelling enough to provide justification for the propositions or hypotheses?
Are the empirical methods appropriate, valid, and well-executed?
Are the analyses done competently? Are the results interesting? Are the conclusions compelling?
Research Notes on ISR
Research Notes will have the following characteristics:
Authors introduce the phenomenon of choice and the dominant nomological model shaping the prevailing understanding about it.
The phenomenon should be of salient interest to the information systems community.
Authors provide a compelling conceptual rationale for the extensions to the model in the form of specific mediators, moderators, or predictors. Since a dominant research model is the starting point, less time is spent in theoretically justifying the entire model. Instead, the authors should efficiently explain how and why their proposed extensions are conceptually or theoretically justifiable.
Note that some papers might propose several new constructs or reconfigure the prevailing model in novel ways.
In such cases, the contribution might be more substantive and the paper should be submitted as a Research Article.
Authors provide the empirical evidence for their proposed model of the phenomenon and explain its significance for research and practice.
Research Commentary on (ISR)
Research Commentaries are designed to provide a critical evaluation and roadmap for future research on an important information systems phenomenon. Key questions in evaluating the research commentary include:
Does the paper highlight an important and under-recognized phenomenon or perspective?
Does the article provide a critical, accurate, and insightful critique of the literature to date?
Does the article provide insightful directions for future research?
Will future researchers benefit from the ideas in the paper? Are the prescriptions compelling, insightful and actionable?
Explanatory statement
might lead to
Prescriptive statements
Mid-range theorizing in design research
Evidence
Case Effect
Prescribed action Goal
is intended to lead to
can be confirmed byleads to revision of
ArtifactEvaluationleads to
Kerneltheories
Mid-rangetheories
Designtheories
Theory development
Source: Kuechler and Vaishnavi (2008)