Design Science Research Methodology: An Artefact-Centric Creation and Evaluation Approach

Adaptation of the Design Science Research methodology has never been easy. There have always been concerns regarding the validity of design science and the evaluation of the artefacts generated therewith and the subsequent claims of the researchers. To address these problems we propose an artefact-centric creation and evaluation methodology for design science research. This methodology begins with observation which is followed by theory building which in turn is followed by an interwoven artefact creation and artefact evaluation process. The artefact creation process focuses on the creation of key artefacts that include conceptual models, processes, conceptual frameworks, system frameworks, architectures, and implementations. The artefact evaluation process is tightly interwoven with the artefact creation process and evaluates the artefacts independently as well as against prior artefacts that influenced their creation. In this paper we discuss in brief the application of this methodology to the ‘Sustainable Business Transformation’ design science research project.