A proposal for using design science in small-scale postgraduate research projects in information technology

Design science is a research paradigm where the development and evaluation of an artefact is a key contribution. Design science is used in many domains and this paper draws on those domains to formulate a generic structure for design science research suitable for small-scale postgraduate information technology research projects. The paper includes guidelines for writing proposals and a generic research report structure. The paper presents ethical issues to consider in design science research and contributes guidelines for assessment.