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

TL;DR

This paper discusses the challenges of conducting critical and emancipatory design science research in information systems, proposing the design of 'possible worlds' as a theoretical approach to address access and evaluation issues.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of designing 'possible worlds' as a novel theoretical method for enabling critical and emancipatory design science research.

Findings

Highlights difficulties in access and evaluation for C&E research

Proposes synthesis of justificatory knowledge for designing 'possible worlds'

Suggests a new theoretical framework for C&E design science

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.