Design Science Research: Progression, Schools of Thought and Research Themes

Design science research, a well-established research approach to solving complex real-world problems, has evolved over time. This research characterizes design science research in information systems. By performing a bibliometric analysis, we show that design science research has progressed in the information systems field through three main phases, which we call periods of inquiry. A co-citation analysis shows that the progression has been largely influenced by a few main pioneering studies, leading to three schools of thought. Bibliographic coupling analysis suggests that research in design science can be classified into several distinct intellectual areas corresponding to different research themes. This bibliometric analysis proposes a broad viewpoint of design science and design research, serving as a basis for shaping further research.