Payal Vaidya - ISSIP Service Design Speaker Series https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaidyapayal/ Panel on Academic Rigor of Service Design Panelists Panel Title: Are design methods rigorous enough for academic research? Dr. Martina Čaić, Aalto University, Finland; Karlstad University, Sweden Ana https://www.linkedin.com/in/martina-caic/ Kustrak Korper, Linköping Univeersity, Sweden https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-kustrak-korper-835b726/ Prof. Dr. Dominik Mahr, Maastricht University, The Netherlands https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominik-mahr-5820083/

1. Are design methods rigorous
enough for academic research?
Dr. Martina Čaić, Aalto University, Finland; Karlstad University, Sweden
Ana Kustrak Korper, Linköping Univeersity, Sweden
Prof. Dr. Dominik Mahr, Maastricht University, The Netherlands

2. The speakers
Ana Kustrak Korper
PhD candidate
Department of
Computer and
Information Science
Linköping University
(Sweden)
Martina Čaić
Post-doctoral
researcher
Aalto School of Arts,
Design and
Architecture (Finland);
Karlstad University
(Sweden)
Dominik Mahr
Professor Digital
Innovation and
Marketing, Maastricht
University, Service
Science Factory (the
Netherlands)

3. Getting
reviewers’
comments

4. Reviewer 2:
Better introduce and explain the methodology.
A novel (and appropriate) methodology with
externally valid data are the strengths of the
paper. Since the methodology is novel, it needs
to be explained better as to why a four-step
procedure is required, rigorous, and is deemed
appropriate.
- Added figures/ details on the method could be
provided in web-based supplementary files.

5. Scientific rigor
• Rigor is simply defined as the quality or state of being very
exact, careful, or with strict precision or the quality of being
thorough, careful, and accurate.
• researcher should be adhering to a set criteria for rigor
during the research process and data analysis.
• Trustworthiness is considered a more appropriate criterion
for evaluating qualitative studies.

6. • Reliability - the extent to which the
outcomes are consistent when the research
is repeated under the same conditions
• Validity - the ability of an instrument to
measure what it is intended to measure
• Internal - how well a study can rule
out alternative explanations for its
findings
• External - the extent to which results
can justify conclusions about other
contexts
Quantitative research Qualitative research
• Credibility - ensures the study measures
what is intended and is a true reflection of
the social reality of the participants
• Transferability - the ability of the findings
to be transferred to other contexts or
settings
• Dependability - ensures the process is
described in sufficient detail to facilitate
another researcher to repeat the work
• Confirmability - the goal is to minimize
investigator bias by acknowledging
researcher predispositions
Rigor vs. Trustworthiness
Guba and Lincoln (1989)
Reliability
Validity
Internal
External
Credibility
Transferability
Dependability
Confirmability

7. Service Design

8. Research in
service design
Service
research
Marketing
Information
systems
Design
Management
Adapted from: Joly et al., (2019)
Multidisicplinarity of SD

9. Traditional qualitative methods Mack (2005)
Focus group
In-depth interview
Participant observations

10. There is a need for knowledge
building within service research that is
more dynamic and dialogic.
Tronvoll et al. (2011)

11. Methods to be discussed
1. RESEARCH THROUGH DESIGN
2. DESIGN SCIENCE RESEARCH
3. CASE STUDY METHODOLOGY

12. Research on design
Research for design
Research through design
Adapted from Frayling (1993)

13. Research through design is an approach to
scientific inquiry that draws on the unique insights
gained through design practice to better understand
complex, situated processes of change.

14. Design Science Research
DSR supports the development of valid
and relevant knowledge that can
directly or indirectly support managers'
problem-solving efforts while urging
scholars away from the “ivory tower”
towards research with increased
relevance (Van Aken et al. 2016)
Design Science
Research
Information systems
research

15. Design Science Research
• conceptual, descriptive, prescriptive
Knowledge type
• artifacts “are evaluated with respect to the utility provided in solving […] problems”
(Hevner et al. 2004)
Pragmatic outlook
• development and performance in design artifacts with the intention of improving
the functionality and value of the existing systems
Focus

16. Design Science Research cycles

17. Case study methodology
• anthropology, psychology, education, political science, management
Common in social sciences
• real-life context; theory development
Investigates phenomenon in-depth and up-close
• quantitative or qualitative data; triangulation
Uses different types of data

18. Case study methodology
Yin (2003)

19. Service design has the story and needs to
communicate it convincingly!

20. Publishing Research: Communicate design standards and rigor to other audiences
Expert Research Panel Co-Chairs – Service Design of the Journal Service Management
Service design education: Inspire students to think differently
Teaching Service Design in Masters’ and Bachelors’ programmes
Doing service design: Innovate with and for humans
Scientific Director of the Service Science Factory, Maastricht University
Transforming society at large: Think about underlying motivations and reasons
Citizen
Reflection on methods of service design

21. References
• Frayling, C. (1993). Research in art and design.
• Joly, M. P., Teixeira, J. G., Patrício, L., & Sangiorgi, D. (2019). Leveraging service design as a
multidisciplinary approach to service innovation. Journal of Service Management.
• Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. (1989). Fourth generation evaluation. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
• Hevner, A. R., March, S. T., Park, J., & Ram, S. (2004). Design science in information systems
research. MIS quarterly, 75-105.
• Mack, N. (2005). Qualitative research methods: A data collector’s field guide.
• Peffers, K., Tuunanen, T., Rothenberger, M. A., & Chatterjee, S. (2007). A design science research
methodology for information systems research. Journal of management information
systems, 24(3), 45-77.
• Penin, L. (2018). An introduction to service design: designing the invisible. Bloomsbury Publishing.
• Tronvoll, B., Brown, S. W., Gremler, D. D., & Edvardsson, B. (2011). Paradigms in service
research. Journal of Service Management, 22(5), 560-585.
• Yin, R.K. (2003) Applications of Case Study Research, Second Edition, Applied Social Research
Methods Series, Vol. 34, Sage Publication.

22. Questions?

23. Ana Kustrak Korper
ana.kustrak.korper@liu.
se
Martina Čaić
martina.caic@aalto.fi
martina.caic@kau.se
Dominik Mahr
d.mahr@maastrichtuniversit
y.nl
Speaker’s contact info