Design Science Research: Bridging the Gap between Research and Practice in Innovation

How do creative ideas arise, how do they turn into innovative solutions in practice – and by what means can science actively promote this process? These questions are at the heart of Creativity and Innovation Management Research (CIMR). In the article "Applying Design Science in Creativity and Innovation Management Research: A Decision Guide for Deepening Research Practice", published in the journal Creativity and Innovation Management, researchers show how Design Science Research (DSR) can help bring this field closer to practical application.

Design Science Research: putting ideas into practice

Instead of focusing solely on analysing creativity and innovation, Design Science Research (DSR) actively develops solutions: Researchers create concrete, practice-oriented tools – referred to as artefacts – which are developed and tested together with practitioners. The goal is to ensure that research directly translates into practical applications. The result: Companies, organisations and start-ups can benefit from solutions that are not only theoretically sound but also tested in practice. "It is important that research can be directly implemented in practice to create a positive impact," says Alexa Böckel, Senior Researcher in the Circular Ecosystems and Governance Research Unit at the Wuppertal Institute, and co-author of the article.

As a result, the researchers present the DeepDSR Guide, a structured decision framework for researchers. It supports scholars throughout the entire research process – from the initial idea through to implementation – while encouraging consistent and reflexive methodological choices. A key element is close collaboration with practitioners to ensure that the solutions developed work under everyday conditions.

The article is available to download free of charge via the link below. It is part of the special issue "Methodological Advances for Creativity and Innovation Management Research" of the journal "Creativity and Innovation Management".