Complete thesis - Murdoch University

Owen (1997, p 37) presents a general model for generating and accumulating knowledge thatis helpful in understanding design disciplines and the Design Research process:Knowledge is generated and accumulated through action. Doing something andjudging the results is the general model . . . the process is shown as a cyclein which knowledge is used to create works, and works are evaluated to buildknowledge.However, even within Design Research communities there is lack of consensus as to the preciseobjective - and therefore the desired outputs – of Design Research. Proposed (March andSmith, 1995; Rossi and Sein, 2003) outputs include:• constructs, which arise during the conceptualisation of the problem and are refinedthroughout the design cycle• models – a set of propositions or statements expressing relationships among constructs• methods – set of steps (an algorithm or guideline) used to perform a task. Methods aregoal directed plans for manipulating constructs so that the solution statement modelis realised• instantiation – the realisation of the artifact in an environment• better theories – since the methodological construction of an artifact is an object oftheorising for many communities (eg how to build more maintainable software), theconstruction phase of a Design Research effort can be an experimental proof and/orexploration of method. In addition, a fuller understanding of relationships betweenartefact (or system) elements potentially falsifies or elaborates on previously theorisedrelationships.Thus the goal of Design Research is to expose the completed design and its implementationin a way that provides insight into the local dynamics. This is achieved not simply throughsharing the design, but providing rich descriptions of context, guiding and emerging theory,design features of the intervention, and the impact of these features over time. However,it requires more than understanding one particular context; the relevance of the findingsto other contexts must be demonstrated. Design Research strives to generate and advancea particular set of theoretical constructs that transcends the context in which they weregenerated, selected, or refined. It is this focus on advancing theory grounded in naturalisticcontexts that sets Design Research apart from laboratory experiments or evaluation research.186