Design science in decision support systems research: An assessment using the Hevner, March, Park, and Ram guidelines

Abstract

Design science has been an important strategy in decision support systems (DSS) research since the field’s inception in the early 1970s. Recent reviews of DSS research have indicated a need to improve its quality and relevance. DSS design-science research has an important role in this improvement because design-science research can engage industry and the profession in intellectually important projects. The Hevner, March, Park, and Ram’s (HMPR) guidelines for the conduct and assessment of information systems design-science research, published in MIS Quarterly in 2004, provides a vehicle for assessing DSS design-science research. This paper presents research that used bibliometric content analysis to apply the HMPR guidelines to a representative sample of 362 DSS design-science research papers in 14 journals. The analysis highlights major issues in DSS research that need attention: research design, evaluation, relevance, strategic focus, and theorizing.