Skip to main content
Book cover

Information Systems Action Research pp 43–60Cite as

Action is an Artifact

What Action Research and Design Science Offer to Each Other

  • Chapter

Part of the Integrated Series in Information Systems book series (ISIS,volume 13)

Abstract

Both action research and design science provide the means for doing research that is rigorous and relevant. In this essay, I combine the different stages of the action research cycle with the different research activities and research outputs of design science. The result is a framework in which action research and design science are able to complement and strengthen each other.

Key words

  • design science
  • action research
  • dialogical action research
  • interpretive research
  • scientific attitude
  • theoria
  • natural attitude
  • praxis

The ideas in current paper have their genesis in an earlier paper (Susarapu and Lee, 2005). Any problems wrought by the additional ideas or changed ideas in the current paper are entirely my own responsibility.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • DOI: 10.1007/978-0-387-36060-7_3
  • Chapter length: 18 pages
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
eBook
USD   84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • ISBN: 978-0-387-36060-7
  • Instant PDF download
  • Readable on all devices
  • Own it forever
  • Exclusive offer for individuals only
  • Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout
Softcover Book
USD   149.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Hardcover Book
USD   109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

5. References

  • Baskerville, R. (1999). Investigating information systems with action research. Communications of the AIS (2), 2–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benbasat, I. and Zmud, R. (1999). Empirical research in information systems: the practice of relevance. MIS Quarterly, 23(1), 3–16.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, D.T. and Stanley, J.C. (1963). Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs for Research. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook, T.D. and Campbell, D.T. (1979). Quasi-Experimentation: Design & Analysis Issues for Field Settings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenhardt, K.M. (1989). Building theories from case study research. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 532–550.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Hevner, A.R., March, S.T., Ram, S., and Park, J. (2004). Design science in information systems research. MIS Quarterly, 28(1), 75–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kock, N. (2003). Action research: Lessons learned from a multi-iteration study of computer-mediated communication in groups. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 46(2), 105–128.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Kock, N., Gray, P., Hoving, R., Klein, H., Myers, M., & Rockart, J. (2002). IS research relevance revisited: subtle accomplishment, unfulfilled promise, or serial hypocrisy? Communications of the AIS, 8(23), 330–346.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lau, F. (1997). A review on the use of action research in information systems studies. A.S. Lee, J. Liebenau and J.I. DeGross, eds. Information Systems and Qualitative Research. London: Chapman and Hall, 31–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, A.S. (1989a). A scientific methodology for MIS case studies. MIS Quarterly, 13(1), pp. 33–50.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, A.S. (1989b). Case studies as natural experiments. Human Relations, 42(2), 117–137.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, A.S. (1991). Integrating positivist and interpretive approaches to organizational research. Organization Science, 2(4), 342–365.

    Google Scholar 

  • March, S.T. and Smith, G.F. (1995). Design and natural science research on information technology. Decision Support Systems, (15), 251–266.

    CrossRef  Google Scholar 

  • Mårtensson, P. and Lee, A.S. (2004). Dialogical action research at Omega Corporation. MIS Quarterly, 28(3), 507–536.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarker, S. and Lee, A.S. (2002). Using a positivist case research methodology to test three competing practitioner theories-in-use of business process redesign. Journal of the Association for Information Systems, (2), 1–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Susarapu, S. and Lee, A.S. (2005). Lessons that action research offers to design science in information systems. Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Conference of the Southern Association for Information Systems (SAIS), Savannah, GA, 79–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schön, D.A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. New York: Basic Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, H.A. (1981). The sciences of the artificial. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, A.L. and Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques, Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Strauss, A.L. and Corbin, J. (1998). Basics of qualitative research, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, second edition.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yin, R.K. (1994). Case Study Research, Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Virginia Commonwealth University, USA

    Allen S. Lee

Authors
  1. Allen S. Lee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Texas A & M International University, Laredo, Texas, USA

    Ned Kock

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

Copyright information

© 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Lee, A.S. (2007). Action is an Artifact. In: Kock, N. (eds) Information Systems Action Research. Integrated Series in Information Systems, vol 13. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-36060-7_3

Download citation