Prescriptive Knowledge in IS Research: Conceptualizing Design Principles in Terms of Materiality, Action, and Boundary Conditions

Abstract

In the IS discipline, the formulation of design principles is an important vehicle to convey design knowledge that contributes beyond instantiations applicable in a limited context of use. However, their formulation still varies in terms of orientation, clarity, and precision. In this paper, we focus on the design of artifacts that are oriented towards human use, and we identify and analyze three orientations in the formulation of such design principles in IS journals -- action oriented, materiality oriented, and both action and materiality oriented. We propose an effective and actionable formulation of design principles that is both clear and precise.