Design-Based Research Process: Problems, Phases, and Applications

Since the first descriptions of design-based research (DBR), there have been continued calls to better define DBR and increase its rigor. Here we address four uncertainties about DBR: (a) the phases of the DBR process, (b) what distinguishes DBR from other forms of research, (c) what distinguishes DBR from design, and (d) the characteristics of DBR that make it effective for answering certain types of questions. We build on existing efforts by defining DBR as an iterative process of 6 phases: focus, understand, define, conceive, build, and test, in which other scientific processes are recursively nested. By better articulating the process of DBR, this definition helps us to better craft, improve, communicate, and teach design-based research.