Design Principles in Focus

A Scoping Review of their Use in Design-Based Research

Abstract

In the context of Design-Based Research (DBR), where design principles (DP) are often described as a key link between theory and practice, little is known about how present this concept is within the research literature and in what ways it is addressed. This scoping review (n = 425) explores the extent to which and the contexts in which the term ‘design principles’ appears in the titles and abstracts of peer-reviewed English-language publications within the field of design research. In order to achieve this, the following research questions will be addressed: To what extent and in which contexts is the term ‘design principles’ used in titles and abstracts of peer-reviewed English-language publications within the context of design research? To complement the review, a qualitative content analysis of verbs pertaining to design principles was conducted, aimed at the second research question: In what ways is the term ‘design principles’ used and described in titles and abstracts of peer-reviewed publications within the context of design research? This analysis seeks to identify recurrent verb usage patterns. The findings show that design principles are widely used in a variety of publications, particularly in the field of educational sciences and subject didactics. They are used largely empirically, primarily for the development of teaching concepts. Verbal analysis and thematic clustering revealed that design principles function as both research outcomes and practical tools throughout the DBR process. Despite their growing importance, the study highlights inconsistencies in the implementation and reporting of design principles, indicating a lack of shared standards across the field. Further research is required to examine methodological patterns, discipline-specific applications and the specific roles of design principles in different DBR phases.