Decision support systems research: Current state, problems, and future directions

Abstract

As the progress in the DSS area continues, periodic evaluations of DSS research are often necessary to examine critical issues in DSS area. This paper examines current state, problems, opportunities, and future research directions of DSS research, and. Using author co-citation analysis approach, this research provides the answers to the several key questions posed by Keen and Kuhn. Kuhn believes that in order for any scientific communities to transit from the pre-to post paradigm period, we need to know who we are as the members of scientific community and what we share between the member of the DSS area and what academics and practitioners in DSS share. Keen addressed three main needs of MIS research to be a coherent field. They are clarification of reference disciplines, defining the dependent variables, and building a cumulative tradition. This research aims to answer those five questions. We suggest that DSS researchers need to look at possible changes of research directions from empirical research emphasis to broaden its scope to take a new approach: the design science paradigm. © 2008 The authors and IOS Press. All rights reserved.