Beyond Rigor and Relevance: Exploring Artifact Resonance

We explore the research resonance concept in the context of the Information Systems (IS) design science research (DSR) literature. Resonance is a concept that complements research rigor and relevance and addresses how researchers can effectively communicate research outcomes to suitable audiences and, thus, achieve practical impact. We operationalize the resonance concept for the IS DSR context and analyze the resonance potential of mature and nascent artifacts that are documented in recent DSR papers. We find that papers consider artifact relevance aspects well, but show considerable room for improvement concerning communicating artifacts to achieve a high level of resonance with practitioner audiences. On this foundation, we see opportunities for further research to develop concrete guidelines for IS design researchers on how to increase their artifacts' resonance potential to the fullest extent.