Slam

Design Science as Nested Problem Solving

Department of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, and Computer Science University of Twente, The Netherlands

Roel Wieringa

roelw@cs.utwente.nl

ABSTRACT

Design science emphasizes the connection between knowledge and practice by showing that we can produce scientific knowledge by designing useful things. However, without further guidelines, aspiring design science researchers tend to identify practical problems with knowledge questions, which may lead to methodologically unsound research designs. To solve a practical problem, the real world is changed to suit human purposes, but to solve a knowledge problem, we acquire knowledge about the world without necessarily changing it. In design science, these two kinds of problems are mutually nested, but this nesting should not blind us for the fact that their problem-solving and solution justification methods are different. This paper analyzes the mutual nesting of practical problems and knowledge problems, derives some methodological guidelines from this for design science researchers, and gives an example of a design science project following this problem nesting.

research are closely related activities. However, the interaction of these activities is not analyzed, and this may create methodological problems. In particular, practical problems and knowledge problems in design science may be identified, and this can create methodological problems. Practical problems call for a change of the world so that it better agrees with some stakeholder goals. Knowledge problems by contrast do not call for a change the world but for a change our knowledge about the world [39, 42]. These two problems are both first class citizens in design science, in that they can both be equally challenging and rewarding to solve, but they do have important methodological differences. Answers to knowledge problems are propositions claimed to be true; solutions to practical problems are changes in the...