Category Archives: Research Contributions

Getting Started With Open Source Governance and Compliance in Companies

Title: Getting Started With Open Source Governance and Compliance in Companies

Authors: Nikolay Harutyunyan (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg), Dirk Riehle (Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg)

Abstract: Commercial use of open source software is on the rise as more companies realize the benefits of using FLOSS components in their products. At the same time, the ungoverned use of such components can result in legal, financial, intellectual property, and other risks. To mitigate these risks, companies must govern their use of open source through appropriate processes. This paper presents an initial theory of industry best practices on getting started with open source governance and compliance. Through a qualitative survey, we conducted and analyzed 15 expert interviews in companies with advanced capabilities in open source governance. We also studied practitioner reports on existing practices for introducing FLOSS governance processes. We cast our resulting initial theory in the actionable format of best practice patterns that, when combined, form a practical handbook of getting started with FLOSS governance in companies.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2019 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

How to estimate the value of open intangible assets?

Title: How to estimate the value of open intangible assets?

Author: Robert Viseur, University of Mons

Abstract: Open innovation practices are widespread in the industry. The software sector, marked by the rise of open source, is a striking example. This paper presents the preliminary results of an exploratory research on estimating the value of open intangible assets. Our approach favors simplicity and relies on a partial automation of the evaluation. An evaluation structure, distinguishing the different forms of value involved in open intangible assets, particularly applicable to software, is provided as an illustration of the proposed approach.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2018 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

How much are digital platforms based on open collaboration? An analysis of technological and knowledge practices and their implications for the platform governance of a sample of 100 cases of collaborative platforms in Barcelona

Title: How much are digital platforms based on open collaboration? An analysis of technological and knowledge practices and their implications for the platform governance of a sample of 100 cases of collaborative platforms in Barcelona

Authors: Mayo Fuster and Ricard Espelt

Abstract: From the early cases of FLOSS and Wikipedia, the digital collaborative model of production and consumption has rapidly expanded to other spheres. This article explores to what extent this expansion has maintained the open character of the initial model, specifically the extent to which platform projects follow an open collaborative approach in their technological and knowledge policies and practices, and if this is also reflected in an open approach to governance. The empirical analysis is based on a sample of 100 cases in Barcelona. On the basis of this analysis, we conclude that open modalities of collaborative digital platforms are not prevalent. Around a third of the sample present open modalities of the dimensions analyzed. Different areas (technological, knowledge, or governance) showed different levels of diffusion of open practices. The cases which tended to be open in one dimension also tended to be open in the other dimensions. That is, the analysis points to a correlation between technological, data, and knowledge policies and open and democratic collaborative economy models. These results suggest the importance of open technology and knowledge in adopting an open and democratic collaborative model.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2018 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Wikipedian: a social identity between work and contribution

Title: Wikipedian: a social identity between work and contribution

Author: Léo Joubert, Aix-Marseille University

Abstract: Contributors to the Wikipedia “free encyclopedia” identify themselves and are identified as “Wikipedians”. A Wikipedian does not leave his job when he becomes a Wikipedian. Nor does he become a Wikipedian in his workplace. The worker’s identity and the Wikipedian identity coexist in the social identity of an individual. On which patterns does this coexistence between worker’s identity and Wikipedian identity operate? Beyond the differences specific to the social identity of each contributor, we will try to show that singulars transactions all take place according to a finite number of patterns that it is possible to count. At this stage of our analysis, we are able to distinguish five identity patterns: employment, learning center, alternative development, continuity in upset, parallel arena. Our model aims to better understanding of why a contributor stay in Wikipedia and identifies himself as a contributor.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2018 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

A clustering approach to infer Wikipedia contributors’ profile

Title: A clustering approach to infer Wikipedia contributors’ profile

Authors: Shubham Krishna, Romain Billot and Nicolas Jullien

Abstract: Recent studies have improved our knowledge about the different types or pro€files of online contributors, from casual to very involved ones, through focused people. But they use very complex methodologies, making their replication by the practitioners limited. We show on both Romanian and Danish wikis that using only the edit and their distribution over time to feed clustering techniques, allows to build these pro€les with good accuracy and stability. Œis suggests that light monitoring of newcomers may be sucient to adapt the interaction with them and to increase the retention rate.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2018 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Match-Funding as a Formula for Crowdfunding: a Case Study on the Goteo.org Platform

Title: Match-Funding as a Formula for Crowdfunding: a Case Study on the Goteo.org Platform

Authors: Enric Senabre Hidalgo and Mayo Fuster Morell.

Abstract: Since crowdfunding first appeared, and with the proliferation of platforms in recent years, various systems and formulas of operation have appeared within the general crowdfunding model. One such system, still in its early days, is match-funding (co-funding between citizens and institutions), which permits public and private organizations to double financial contributions for projects from individual users. This paper focuses on the Goteo.org platform, a pioneer in the international development of this model. The advantages and impact of this method of crowdfunding compared to the traditional method is analyzed using data collected on the behavior in 14 match-funding calls for projects on Goteo.org in the last 5 years. The results show that match-funding campaigns are more likely to be successful, significantly increase average donations and generate new dynamics of institutional cooperation and proximity in the support for initiatives.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2018 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Challenges in the collaborative development of a complex mathematical software and its ecosystem

Title: Challenges in the collaborative development of a complex mathematical software and its ecosystem

Author: Théo Zimmermann, Université Paris-Diderot

Abstract: This is a contribution to the OpenSym 2018 Doctoral Symposium. This paper describes my PhD objectives. As an insider in the Coq development team, I’ve worked at making the release process of the Coq proof assistant smoother and more automated, at opening the development to external contributions, and at shaping the ecosystem around Coq. I’m intending to evaluate how well-known software engineering techniques and results about open source software communities apply in the specific case of the proof assistant I’m studying.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2018 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

The More, The Merrier: An Analysis of Editors’ Languages in Wikidata

Title: The More, The Merrier: An Analysis of Editors’ Languages in Wikidata

Authors: Lucie-Aimée Kaffee and Elena Simperl, University of Southampton

Abstract: Wikidata is unique as a knowledge base as well as a community given its users contribute together to one cross-lingual project. To create a truly multilingual knowledge base, a variety of languages of contributors is needed. In this paper, we investigate the language distribution in Wikidata’s editors, how it relates to Wikidata’s content and the users’ label editing. This gives us an insight into its community that can help supporting users working on multilingual projects.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2018 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.

Evaluating the Impact of the Wikipedia Teahouse on newcomer socialization and retention

Title: Evaluating the Impact of the Wikipedia Teahouse on newcomer socialization and retention

Authors: Jonathan T Morgan and Aaron Halfaker, Wikimedia Foundation

Abstract: Effective socialization of new contributors is vital for the long-term sustainability of open collaboration projects. Previous research has identified many common barriers to participation. However, few interventions employed to increase newcomer retention over the long term by improving aspects of the onboarding experience have demonstrated success. This study presents an evaluation of the impact of one such intervention, the Wikipedia Teahouse, on new editor survival. In a controlled experiment, we find that new editors invited to the Teahouse are retained at a higher rate than editors who do not receive an invite. The effect is observed for both low- and high-activity newcomers, and for both short- and long-term survival.

Download: This contribution is part of the OpenSym 2018 proceedings, has been awarded the best paper and is available as a PDF file.

Stigmergic Coordination in Wikipedia

Title: Stigmergic Coordination in Wikipedia

Authors: Amira Rezgui (IMT Atlantique) and Kevin Crowston (Syracuse University)

Abstract: We look for evidence of stigmergic coordination (i.e., coordination mediated by changes to a shared work product) in the context of Wikipedia. Using a novel approach to identifying edits to the same part of a Wikipedia article, we show that a majority of edits to two example articles are not associated with discussion on the article Talk page, suggesting the possibility of stigmergic coordination. However, discussion does seem to be related to article quality, suggesting the limits to this approach to coordination.

Download: The contribution is part of the OpenSym 2018 proceedings and is available as a PDF file.