WITS'05 Panel: The Past, Present, and Future of Design Science Research

Panel Chair: Jay Nunamaker (Presentation Slides)

Panelists (Alphabetical order):
     Gordon B. Davis
     Alan R. Hevner (Presentation Slides)
     John King
     Stuart Madnick (Presentation Slides)

Panel Date: Sunday, December 11, 2005

Panel Synopsis:

This panel provides a forum for exchanging ideas on issues surrounding an emerging scientific area called "Design Science Research," which has been outlined in the 2004 MISQ article "Design Science in Information Systems Research" by Hevner, March, Park, and Ram. This article has raised new attention to a long-standing methodological problem in the field of MIS as symbolized by the 1991 MIS article on "Systems Development in Information Systems Research," by Nunamaker, Chen, and Purdin.

The MIS field is reaching an inflection point at the time of technology bubble burst and shrinking student population. The 2003 MISQ article "The Identity Crisis within the IS Discipline," by Benbasat and Zmud signals the urgent need for a disciplinary and methodological self-examination.

We believe that there are many open questions in Design Science Research. For instance, is Design Science a technical discipline or a management discipline? Should Design Science be system-oriented? Should Design Science be inclusive with respect to other major disciplines such as computer science and systems engineering? Should empirical research methodologies be part of Design Science Research? What about the traditional management science methodologies? This panel will strive to lead a meaningful discussion on open concerns about Design Science Research.

The Design Science Research Panel consists of several world-renown pioneering scholars in MIS, who have led, along with many other MIS leaders, the rise of the MIS discipline over the past thirty five plus years. Their unique vision and experiences will be a solid foundation for this important and timely panel. The panelists will provide their unique viewpoints on the past and present of design science research and offer their opinions on the perplexing questions above that will help shape the future. We anticipate a lively discussion that will echo the concern and wisdom of MIS scholars at large.