The Artifact’s Theory – A Grounded Theory Perspective on Design Science Research: 10. Internationale Tagung Wirtschaftsinformatik

The need for theoretical work in IS research has been pointed out frequently in past discussions on the cumulative tradition of our discipline. In order to distinct IS research from adjacent fields, the practice of designing artifacts plays a crucial role. On the one hand, the construction and evaluation of new and innovative arti- facts solving real world problems is the core of our discipline. On the other hand, this designing aspect of IS research has been ac- cused of not being linked sufficiently to theoretical considerations in the past. To help IS design researchers to address this chal- lenge, our paper analyzes research generating theory based on the Grounded Theory Method. By identifying, analyzing, and review- ing such research we identify some process characteristics of grounded theory building that can help IS researchers to improve their design processes to also yield theoretical output. Thus, we aim to make an IS design researcher’s work clearly distinguisha- ble to the work of a software developer or a consultant. By also discussing the role of theory in this context, we intend to make a case for more theoretical work in IS design research.