The content of this volume, in its second edition, is suitable for multidisciplinary information and communications technology (ICT) research studies in which research questions, which often do not have theoretical background, arise. This book is a very interesting resource for academics, including junior and senior researchers interested in understanding the underpinning theories, principles, and guidelines to conduct research studies in the fields of information systems and ICT. This volume is suitable for grounding ICT research projects, multiparadigmatic in nature, in the relevant research philosophies and techniques, as well as for providing ICT researchers with recurrent patterns for successfully carrying out such projects.

The book is organized in three main parts. The first part is structured over five chapters devoted to theoretical material. Chapters 1 and 2 give readers an overview of the paradigm of design science research (DSR), positioning it within other research paradigms such as positivism and interpretivism. Chapter 3 places DSR in the ICT historical context, emphasizing the impact on ICT systems research, development, and refinement. Chapters 4 and 5 are two additional theoretical chapters, as compared to the first edition. These are devoted to theory development in DSR, to a presentation of “a taxonomy of DSR theory types,” and the link to “traditional notions of theory from the hard sciences.”

The second part is built upon seven chapters devoted to the description of the research patterns, drawn from concepts of the first part. Each chapter is associated with “one or more phases of the [DSR] research methodology.” These include creativity, problem selection and development patterns, literature search, suggestion and evaluation, validation, and publishing patterns.

The third part has a practical perspective and focuses on the analysis of examples of published research studies. This analysis is presented in terms of knowledge contribution, the patterns employed, and sometimes a reflection on those patterns that could have been adopted.

The pro of this book is that it provides readers with useful notions and concepts regarding how to understand the purposes of existing ICT systems as well as how to design and deploy novel systems with increased “performance even in the absence of a strong theoretical [background].” The con is the organization of the book, which might cause readers to get off track, especially novices who are facing research projects for the first time.

Overall, this is an ideal book for teaching, at the postgraduate level, how to effectively conduct research. The volume is suitable for academics and master’s and PhD students, as well as more senior researchers in the soft and hard sciences.

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