Challenges of Critical and Emancipatory Design Science Research: The Design of ‘Possible Worlds’ as Response

Marcel Heusinger

MPRA Paper from University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: Popper’s (1967) ’piecemeal social change’ is an approach manifesting itself in science as critical and emancipatory (C&E) research. It is concerned with incrementally removing manifested inequalities to achieve a ’better’ world. Although design science research in information systems seems to be a prime candidate for such endeavors, respective projects are clearly underrepresented. This position paper argues that this is due to the demand of justifying research ex post by an evaluation in practical settings. From the perspective of C&E research it is questionable if powerful actors grant access to their organization and support projects which ultimately challenge their position. It is suggested that theory development based on a synthesis of justificatory knowledge is a complementary approach that allows designing realizable responses to C&E issues–the design of ’possible worlds’ (Lewis, 1986) as basis for C&E design science research.

Keywords: Critical and Emancipatory Research; Design Science; Possible Worlds; Design Theory; Information Systems Research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O33 Q51 Q55 Q56 Z18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-knm and nep-ppm
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