Open Source Software: A Conceptual Framework for Collaborative Artifact and Knowledge Construction

My dissertation explored open source not purely as a software creation process, but as a collaborative design activity. The primary goal in focusing on the collaborative construction of software was to provide a means by which diverse open source projects can be compared. In addition, understanding the strengths of open source communities (as well as the challenges they face) can help in the design of new ways to foster Internet-based collaboration and new computer systems that can encourage this collaboration. The work described here explores open source in a number of aspects. I present a framework for understanding open source as collaborative construction and then apply this framework to case studies of existing open source projects, designing new learning environments (through the redesign of a university course "inspired" by open source principles), and the design of novel collaborative technologies.

Below you will find the abstract and full text of my dissertation in PDF. I will make an HTML version available as soon as possible.

If you are interested in any of the ideas discussed here, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Open Source: A Conceptual Framework for Collaborative Artifact and Knowledge Construction by Eric Scharff, May 2002

Abstract

More than the development of high-quality low-cost software or the support of intellectual property agreements, open source pursuits are dynamic processes with social and technical components. Open source software communities provide examples of ongoing activities where people understand and solve problems of mutual interest. Participants work together to design, reflect upon, and extend software systems, a process that grounds complex problems in the design and continuous evolution of tools, collaborative processes, and even the participants themselves. Open source processes rely on the tight interrelationship between a group of participants, the system they produce, the collaborative process involved, and the collaborative technology used for communication and coordination. Understanding the features of open source collaborative processes can help understand existing projects and to design new collaborative activity.

This dissertation explores open source communities from a collaborative knowledge construction perspective. It presents a conceptual framework for understanding open source collaborative construction activities. It applies this framework to existing open source projects through several case studies of open source projects. These principles are then used in the design of a university course to enhance collaborative knowledge construction within that course. The principles are also applied to the creation of a computer system that supports collaborative problem solving in open-ended domains. Together, these activities explore the description of existing open source projects and the application of open principles to design new collaborative construction practice.

• Front Matter (Title, Abstract, Table of Contents), 12pp, 52K
• Chapter 1 (Introduction), 14pp, 96K
• Chapter 2 (A Socio-Technical Framework for Open Source Software), 25pp, 192K
• Chapter 3 (Perspectives on Open Source and Open Systems), 17pp, 108K
• Chapter 4 (Case Studies in Open Source), 24pp, 192K
• Chapter 5 (Creating Open Source Collaborative Learning Environments), 33pp, 184K
• Chapter 6 (The Envisionment and Discovery Collaboratory), 31pp, 204K
• Chapter 7 (Open Source for the Rest of Us), 14pp, 96K
• Chapter 8 (Future Work and Conclusions), 11pp, 80K
• End Matter (Bibliography, Glossary, Index), 17pp, 140K