Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Pattern-Based Design Research – An Iterative Research Method Balancing Rigor and Relevance

  • Conference paper
Design Science at the Intersection of Physical and Virtual Design (DESRIST 2013)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 7939))

Abstract

Researchers in the area of Information Systems (IS) applying the design science paradigm are confronted with the challenge to make theoretical contributions which also help to solve current and anticipated problems in practice. This is often referred to as the rigor and relevance challenge of design science research. To ensure relevance of the research outcome, research projects in IS are often conducted in close cooperation with one or more industry partners. This typically leads to a need for early results and a binding to the specific organizational context of the participating industry partner(s).

In this paper, we propose pattern-based design research (PDR), an iterative design research method consisting of four phases, to overcome this problem. We argue that patterns as early stage design artifacts enable researchers to build innovative artifacts that address current and anticipated problems of practitioners in an organizational context. Building on well-established concepts as patterns, design theories, and the design theory nexus, the proposed research method enables a researcher to theorize and learn from the intervention at the industry partner(s) while performing rigorous and relevant design science research. We illustrate the applicability of PDR by presenting a research project from the area of enterprise architecture management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Simon, H.A.: The Sciences of the Artificial, 2nd edn. MIT Press, Cambridge (1981)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Aken, J.: Management research based on the paradigm of the design sciences: The quest for field-tested and grounded technological rules. Journal of Management Studies 41(2), 219–246 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Hevner, A., March, S., Park, J., Ram, S.: Design science in information systems research. Management Information Systems Quarterly 28(1), 75–105 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  4. King, J.L., Lyytinen, K.: The Future of the IS Field: Drawing Directions from Multiple Maps, pp. 345–354. John Wiley & Sons, West Sussex (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Rosemann, M., Vessey, I.: Toward improving the relevance of information systems research to practice: the role of applicability checks. Management Information Systems Quarterly 32(1), 1–22 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Benbasat, I., Weber, R.: Rethinking ‘diversity’ in information systems research. Information Systems Research, 389–399 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Benbasad, I., Zmud, R.W.: Empirical research in information systems: The practice of relevance. Management Information Systems Quarterly 23(1), 3–16 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Davenport, T.H., Markus, L.M.: Rigor and relevance revisited: Response to benbasat and zmud. Management Information Systems Quarterly 23(1), 19–23 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Staw, B.M.: Repairs on the road to relevance and rigor: Some unexplored issues in publishing organizational research, pp. 85–97. Sage, London (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Langenberg, K., Wegmann, A.: Enterprise architecture: What aspect is current research targeting? Technical report, Laboratory of Systemic Modeling, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Aier, S., Kurpjuweit, S., Riege, C., Saat, J.: Stakeholderorientierte dokumentation und analyse der unternehmensarchitektur. GI Jahrestagung (2), 559–565 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Eisenhardt, K.M., Graebner, M.E.: Theory building from cases: Opportunities and challenges. Academy of Management Journal 50(1), 25–32 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Gallupe, R.B.: The tyranny of methodologies in information systems research. SIGMIS Database 38, 20–28 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Vaishnavi, V., Kuechler, W.: Design research in information systems (2004), http://desrist.org/design-research-ininformation-systems

  15. Churchman, C.W.: Guest editorial: Wicked problems. Management Science 14(4), 141–142 (1967)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Rittel, H., Webber, M.: Dilemmas in a general theory of planning. Policy Sciences 4, 155–169 (1973)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Pries-Heje, J., Baskerville, R.: The design theory nexus. Management Information Systems Quarterly 32(4), 731–755 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Winter, R., vom Brocke, J., Fettke, P., Loos, P., Junginger, S., Moser, C., Keller, W., Matthes, F., Ernst, A.M.: Patterns in business and information systems engineering. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 468–474 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Straub, D.W.: Editor’s comments: Does mis have native theories? MIS Quarterly (36), iii–xii (2012)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Alexander, C.: Notes on the Synthesis of Form. Harvard University Press, Cambridge (1972)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Alexander, C., Ishikawa, S., Silverstein, M., Jacobson, M., Fiksdahl-King, I., Angel, S.: A Pattern Language. Oxford University Press, New York (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Gamma, E., Helm, R., Johnson, R., Vlissides., J.M.: Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software. Addison-Wesley Professional (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Buschmann, F., Meunier, R., Rohnert, H., Sommerlad, P., Stal, M.: Pattern-oriented software architecture: a system of patterns. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Meszaros, G., Doble, J.: A Pattern Language for Pattern Writing, pp. 529–574. Addison Wesley (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Noble, J.: Classifying relationships between object-oriented design patterns. In: Australian Software Engineering Conference (ASWEC), pp. 98–107. IEEE Computer Society, Los Alamitos (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Walls, J., Widmeyer, G., El Sawy, O.: Building an information system design theory for vigilant eis. Information Systems Research 3(1), 36–59 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Gregor, S., Jones, D.: The anatomy of a design theory. Journal of the Association of Information Systems 8(5), 312–335 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Schermann, M., Böhmann, T., Krcmar, H.: Fostering the evaluation of reference models: Application and extension of the concept of is design theories. Wirtschaftsinformatik 2, 181–198 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Gehlert, A., Schermann, M., Pohl, K., Krcmar, H.: Towards a research method for theory-driven design research. business services: Konzepte, technologien, anwendungen. In: 9. Internationale Tagung Wirtschaftsinformatik, pp. 441–450 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Buckl, S., Matthes, F., Schweda, C.M.: Utilizing patterns in developing design theories. In: 2010 International Conference on Information Systems, ICIS 2010 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Goldkuhl, G.: Design theories in information systems - a need for multi-grounding. Journal of Information Technology Theory and Application 6(2) (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Nunamaker, J., Chen, M., Purdin, T.: Systems development in information systems research. Journal of Management Information Systems 7(3), 89–106 (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Venable, J.R.: The role of theory and theorising in design science research. In: Design Science Research in Information Systems and Technology (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Coplien, J.O.: Software Patterns: Management Briefs. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Markus, M.L., Majchrzak, A., Gasser, L.: A design theory for systems that support emergent knowledge processes. MIS Quaterly 26(3), 179–212 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Hanschke, I.: Strategic IT Management: A Toolkit for Enterprise Architecture Management. Springer (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Murer, S., Bonati, B., Furrer, F.J.: Managed Evolution. Springer (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Buckl, S., Ernst, A.M., Matthes, F.: Enterprise architecture management pattern catalog. Technical report, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  39. Buckl, S., Ernst, A.M., Lankes, J., Matthes, F., Schweda, C.M.: Enterprise architecture management patterns - exemplifying the approach. In: The 12th IEEE International EDOC Conference (EDOC 2008), München, pp. 393–402 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  40. Buckl, S.M.: Developing Organization-Specific Enterprise Architecture Management Functions Using a Method Base. PhD thesis, Technische Universität München, München, Germany (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  41. Schweda, C.M.: Development of Organization-Specific Enterprise Architecture Modeling Languages Using Building Blocks. PhD thesis, Technische Universität München (2011)

    Google Scholar 

  42. Buckl, S., Matthes, F., Schweda, C.M.: A situated approach to enterprise architecture management. In: IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics (SMC 2010), pp. 587–592. IEEE (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  43. Buckl, S., Matthes, F., Schweda, C.M.: A method base for enterprise architecture management. In: Ralyté, J., Mirbel, I., Deneckère, R. (eds.) ME 2011. IFIP AICT, vol. 351, pp. 34–48. Springer, Heidelberg (2011)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  44. Ross, J.W., Beath, C.M.: Sustainable it outsourcing success: Let enterprise architecture be your guide. MIS Quarterly Executive 5(4), 181–192 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  45. Sein, M.K., Henfridsson, O., Puraro, S., Rossi, M., Lindgren, R.: Action design research. MIS Quarterly (2) (2011)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. iteratec GmbH, Inselkammerstr. 4, 82008, München-Unterhaching, Germany

    Sabine Buckl & Christian M. Schweda

  2. Chair for Informatics 19 (sebis), Technische Universität München (TUM), Boltzmannstr. 3, 85748, Garching bei München, Germany

    Florian Matthes & Alexander W. Schneider

Authors
  1. Sabine Buckl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Florian Matthes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alexander W. Schneider
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Christian M. Schweda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Information Systems, University of Liechtenstein, Fürst-Franz-Josef-Strasse 21, 9490, Vaduz, Liechtenstein

    Jan vom Brocke

  2. Department of Information and Service Economy, Aalto University, Chydenia (Runeberginkatu 22-24), P.O. Box 21220, 00076, Aalto, Finland

    Riitta Hekkala  & Matti Rossi  & 

  3. Department of Management Information Systems, Eller College of Management, University of Arizona, 430J McClelland Hall, 85721, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Sudha Ram

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Buckl, S., Matthes, F., Schneider, A.W., Schweda, C.M. (2013). Pattern-Based Design Research – An Iterative Research Method Balancing Rigor and Relevance. In: vom Brocke, J., Hekkala, R., Ram, S., Rossi, M. (eds) Design Science at the Intersection of Physical and Virtual Design. DESRIST 2013. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 7939. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38827-9_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-38827-9_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-38826-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-38827-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation