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Scientific Theories

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Design Science Methodology for Information Systems and Software Engineering

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Abstract

Like all scientific research, design science aims to develop scientific theories. As explained earlier in Fig. 1.3, a design science project starts from a knowledge context consisting of scientific theories, design specifications, useful facts, practical knowledge, and common sense. This is called prior knowledge. The set of scientific theories used as prior knowledge in a design research project is loosely called its theoretical framework. When it is finished, a design science project should have produced additional knowledge, called posterior knowledge. Our primary aim in design science is to produce posterior knowledge in the form of a contribution to a scientific theory. In this chapter, we discuss the nature, structure, and function of scientific theories in, respectively, Sects. 9.1, 9.2, and 9.3.

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  1. University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands

    Roel J. Wieringa

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Wieringa, R.J. (2014). Scientific Theories. In: Design Science Methodology for Information Systems and Software Engineering. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-43839-8_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-43839-8_9

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