TY - RPRT T1 - Manifesto on Engineering Academic Software (Dagstuhl Perspectives Workshop 16252) Y1 - 2016 A1 - Alice Allen A1 - Cecilia Aragon A1 - Christoph Becker A1 - Jeffrey Carver A1 - Andrei Chiş A1 - Benoit Combemale A1 - Mike Croucher A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Daniel Garijo A1 - Ashish Gehani A1 - Carole Goble A1 - Robert Haines A1 - Robert Hirschfeld A1 - James Howison A1 - Kathryn Huff A1 - Caroline Jay A1 - Daniel S. Katz A1 - Claude Kirchner A1 - Katie Kuksenok A1 - Ralf Lämmel A1 - Oscar Nierstrasz A1 - Matt Turk A1 - van Nieuwpoort, Rob A1 - Matthew Vaughn A1 - Jurgen Vinju AB - Software is often a critical component of scientific research. It can be a component of the academic research methods used to produce research results, or it may itself be an academic research result. Software, however, has rarely been considered to be a citable artifact in its own right. With the advent of open-source software, artifact evaluation committees of conferences, and journals that include source code and running systems as part of the published artifacts, we foresee that software will increasingly be recognized as part of the academic process. The quality and sustainability of this software must be accounted for, both a priori and a posteriori. The Dagstuhl Perspectives Workshop on “Engineering Academic Software” has examined the strengths, weaknesses, risks, and opportunities of academic software engineering. A key outcome of the workshop is this Dagstuhl Manifesto, serving as a roadmap towards future professional software engineering for software-based research instruments and other software produced and used in an academic context. The manifesto is expressed in terms of a series of actionable “pledges” that users and developers of academic research software can take as concrete steps towards improving the environment in which that software is produced. JF - Dagstuhl Manifestos PB - Schloss Dagstuhl – Leibniz Center for Informatics CY - Wadern, Germany VL - 6 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Using natural language processing for qualitative data analysis JF - International Journal of Social Research Methodology Y1 - 2012 A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Allen, Eileen E. A1 - Heckman, Robert AB - Social researchers often apply qualitative research methods to study groups and their communications artefacts. The use of computer-mediated communications has dramatically increased the volume of text available, but coding such text requires considerable manual effort. We discuss how systems that process text in human languages (i.e., natural language processing, NLP) might partially automate content analysis by extracting theoretical evidence. We present a case study of the use of NLP for qualitative analysis in which the NLP rules showed good performance on a number of codes. With the current level of performance, use of an NLP system could reduce the amount of text to be examined by a human coder by an order of magnitude or more, potentially increasing the speed of coding by a comparable degree. The paper is significant as it is one of the first to demonstrate the use of high-level NLP techniques for qualitative data analysis. VL - 15 IS - 6 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Machine Learning and Rule-Based Automated Coding of Qualitative Data T2 - American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIST) Annual Conference Y1 - 2010 A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Xiaozhong Liu A1 - Allen, Eileen E. A1 - Heckman, Robert KW - FLOSS KW - NLP AB - Researchers often employ qualitative research approaches but large volumes of textual data pose considerable challenges to manual coding. In this research, we explore how to implement fully or semi-automatic coding on textual data (specifically, electronic messages) by leveraging Natural Language Processing (NLP). In particular, we compare the performance of human-developed NLP rules to those inferred by machine learning algorithms. The experimental results suggest that NLP with machine learning can be an effective way to assist researchers in coding qualitative data. JF - American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIST) Annual Conference CY - Pittsburgh, PA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Asynchronous Decision-Making in Distributed Teams (Poster) Y1 - 2008 A1 - Li, Qing A1 - Heckman, Robert A1 - Allen, Eileen E. A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Eseryel, U. Yeliz A1 - James Howison A1 - Wiggins, Andrea KW - Decision-Making KW - FLOSS JF - Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work CY - San Diego, CA ER - TY - Generic T1 - Decision Making Paths in Self-Organizing Technology-Mediated Distributed Teams T2 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Open Source Systems Y1 - 2008 A1 - Li, Qing A1 - Heckman, Robert A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - James Howison A1 - Allen, Eileen E. A1 - Eseryel, U. Yeliz AB - This paper investigates decision making in self-organizing technology-mediated distributed teams. This context provides an opportunity to examine how the use of technological support to span temporal and organizational discontinuities affects decision-making processes. 258 software-modification decision episodes were collected from the public emailing lists of six Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) projects over a span of five years. Six decision-making paths were identified as 1) short-cut decision-making path; 2) implicit-development decision-making path; 3) implicit-evaluation decision-making path; 4) normative decision-making path; 5) dynamic decision-making path; and 6) interrupted/delayed decision-making path. We suggest that the nature of the tasks and the affordances of the technology used reduce the need for explicit coordination, resulting in a broader range of possible decision processes than are observed in face-to-face groups. JF - Proceedings of the International Conference on Open Source Systems CY - Paris, France, 14-17 December ER - TY - Generic T1 - Emergent decision-making practices in Free/Libre Open Source Software FLOSS development teams T2 - Proceedings of the IFIP 3rd International Conference on Open Source Software Y1 - 2007 A1 - Heckman, Robert A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Eseryel, U. Yeliz A1 - James Howison A1 - Allen, Eileen E. A1 - Li, Qing AB - We seek to identify work practices that make Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) development teams effective. Particularly important to team effectiveness is decision making. In this paper, we report on an inductive qualitative analysis of 360 decision episodes of six FLOSS development teams. Our analysis revealed diversity in decision-making practices that seem to be related to differences in overall team characteristics and effectiveness. JF - Proceedings of the IFIP 3rd International Conference on Open Source Software CY - Limerick, Ireland, 10-14 June ER - TY - Generic T1 - Investigating the Dynamics of FLOSS Development Teams (Poster) Y1 - 2007 A1 - Li, Na A1 - Li, Qing A1 - Kangning Wei A1 - Heckman, Robert A1 - Eseryel, U. Yeliz A1 - Liddy, Elizabeth D. A1 - James Howison A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Allen, Eileen E. A1 - Scialdone, Michael J. A1 - Inoue, Keisuke A1 - Harwell, Sarah A1 - Rowe, Steven A1 - McCracken, Nancy A1 - Wiggins, Andrea N1 - SD 2007 poster - Full Adobe PDF 2007 HSD PI's conference poster reporting on the grant project work to date in a full Adobe PDF file. HSD 2007 poster - Small PDF HSD 2007 conference grant progress reporting poster in a smaller PDF file. ER - TY - Generic T1 - Emergent decision-making practices in technology-supported self-organizing distributed teams T2 - Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) Y1 - 2006 A1 - Heckman, Robert A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Li, Qing A1 - Allen, Eileen E. A1 - Eseryel, U. Yeliz A1 - James Howison A1 - Kangning Wei KW - Decision-Making KW - FLOSS AB - We seek to identify work practices that make technology-supported self-organizing distributed (or virtual) teams (TSSODT for short) effective in producing outputs satisfactory to their sponsors, meeting the needs of their members and continuing to function. A particularly important practice for team effectiveness is decision making: are the right decisions made at the right time to get the work done in a way that satisfies team sponsors, keeps contributors happy and engaged, and enables continued team success? In this research-in-progress paper, we report on an inductive qualitative analysis of 120 decision episodes taken by 2 Free/libre Open Source Software development teams. Our analysis revealed differences in decision-making practices that seem to be related to differences in overall team effectiveness. JF - Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) CY - Milwaukee, WI, 10–13 Dec ER - TY - Generic T1 - From Individual Contribution to Group learning: the Early Years of Apache Web Server T2 - Proceedings of the IFIP 2nd International Conference on Open Source Software Y1 - 2006 A1 - Annabi, Hala A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Heckman, Robert KW - FLOSS KW - Learning AB - Open Source Software (OSS) groups experience many benefits and challenges with respect to the core group’s effectiveness. In order to capitalize on the benefits and minimize the challenges, OSS groups must learn not only on the individual level, but also on the group level. OSS groups learn by integrating individual contributions into the group’s product and processes. This paper reports on the characteristics of the learning process in OSS groups. The study utilized an embedded single case study design that observed and analyzed group learning processes in the Apache Web server OSS project. The study used learning opportunity episodes (LOE) as the embedded unit of analysis and developed and utilized three content analytic schemes to describe the characteristics of the learning process and the factors affecting this process. JF - Proceedings of the IFIP 2nd International Conference on Open Source Software CY - Lake Como, Italy, 8–9 June ER - TY - JOUR T1 - Information systems success in Free and Open Source Software development: Theory and measures JF - Software Process–Improvement and Practice Y1 - 2006 A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - James Howison A1 - Annabi, Hala KW - FLOSS KW - Success AB - Information systems success is one of the most widely used dependent variables in information systems (IS) research, but research on Free/Libre and Open Source software (FLOSS) often fails to appropriately conceptualize this important concept. In this paper, we reconsider what success means within a FLOSS context. We first review existing models of IS success and success variables used in FLOSS research and assess them for their usefulness, practicality and fit to the FLOSS context. Then, drawing on a theoretical model of group effectiveness in the FLOSS development process, as well as an online discussion group with developers, we present additional concepts that are central to an appropriate understanding of success for FLOSS. In order to examine the practicality and validity of this conceptual scheme, the second half of our paper presents an empirical study that demonstrates its operationalization of the chosen measures and assesses their internal validity. We use data from SourceForge to measure the project’s effectiveness in team building, the speed of the project at responding to bug reports and the project’s popularity. We conclude by discussing the implications of this study for our proposed extension of IS success in the context of FLOSS development and highlight future directions for research. VL - 11 ER - TY - Generic T1 - Investigating the Dynamics of FLOSS Development Teams (Poster) Y1 - 2006 A1 - Li, Qing A1 - Kangning Wei A1 - Heckman, Robert A1 - Eseryel, U. Yeliz A1 - Liddy, Elizabeth D. A1 - James Howison A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Allen, Eileen E. A1 - Inoue, Keisuke A1 - Harwell, Sarah A1 - Rowe, Steven A1 - McCracken, Nancy N1 - Poster describing the current state of the project for the HSD Principal Investigators' conference, 14-15 September 2006, Washington DC. ER - TY - Generic T1 - Effective work practices for FLOSS development: A model and propositions T2 - Proceedings of the 38th Hawai'i International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) Y1 - 2005 A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Annabi, Hala A1 - James Howison A1 - Masango, Chengetai AB - We review the literature on Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) development and on software development, distributed work and teams more generally to develop a theoretical model to explain the performance of FLOSS teams. The proposed model is based on Hackman’s [1] model of effectiveness of work teams, with coordination theory [2] and collective mind [3] to extend Hackman’s model by elaborating team practices relevant to effectiveness in software development. We propose a set of propositions to guide further research. JF - Proceedings of the 38th Hawai'i International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS) CY - Big Island, Hawai'i, January N1 - "Effective work practices for Software Engineering: Free/Libre Open Source Software Development". Presentation at the Workshop on Interdisciplinary Software Engineering 2004, SIGSOFT 2004/FSE-12 Conference, Newport Beach, CA, 5 November. Powerpoint file. ER - TY - Generic T1 - A structurational perspective on leadership in Free/Libre Open Source Software teams T2 - Proceedings of the 1st Conference on Open Source Systems (OSS) Y1 - 2005 A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Heckman, Robert A1 - Annabi, Hala A1 - Masango, Chengetai KW - FLOSS KW - Leadership AB - In this conceptual paper, we present a structuration-based theory of leadership behaviours in self-organizing virtual distributed teams such as Free/Libre Open Source Software development teams. Such teams are often composed of members of relatively equal status or who are so disparate in background that formal organizational status seems irrelevant, reducing the usual leadership cues provided by organizational status and title. Building on a functional view of leadership and structuration theory, we suggest that leaders are individuals who develop team structures that then guide the actions of team members. Specifically, we examine structures of signification in the form of shared mental models, structures of domination in the form of role structures and structures of legitimation in form of rules and norms. The main contribution of our paper is the integration of various social theories to describe emergent leadership behaviours in distributed teams. We develop a set of propositions and illustrate with examples taken from Free/Libre Open Source Software development teams. We conclude by suggesting future research that might be conducted to test and further elaborate our theory. JF - Proceedings of the 1st Conference on Open Source Systems (OSS) CY - Genova, Italy ER - TY - CONF T1 - Effective work practices for software engineering T2 - Proceedings of the 2004 ACM workshop on Interdisciplinary software engineering research (WISER '04) Y1 - 2004 A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Annabi, Hala A1 - James Howison A1 - Masango, Chengetai KW - FLOSS AB - We review the literature on Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) development and on software development, distributed work and teams more generally to develop a theoretical model to explain the performance of FLOSS teams. The proposed model is based on Hackman’s [34] model of effectiveness of work teams, with coordination theory [52] and collective mind [79] to extend Hackman’s model by elaborating team practices relevant to effectiveness in software development. We propose a set of propositions to guide further research. JF - Proceedings of the 2004 ACM workshop on Interdisciplinary software engineering research (WISER '04) PB - ACM Press CY - Newport Beach, CA, USA SN - 1581139888 JO - WISER '04 ER - TY - Generic T1 - A structurational model of leadership in virtual distributed groups Y1 - 2004 A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Annabi, Hala A1 - Heckman, Robert KW - FLOSS N1 - "A structurational model of the dynamics of Free/Libre Open Source Software development teams". Presentation at the IFIP WG 8.2 OASIS Workshop 2004, Washington, DC, 12 December 2004. (Powerpoint file). ER - TY - CONF T1 - Towards a portfolio of FLOSS project success measures T2 - Workshop on Open Source Software Engineering, 26th International Conference on Software Engineering Y1 - 2004 A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Annabi, Hala A1 - James Howison A1 - Masango, Chengetai AB - Project success is one of the most widely used dependent variables in information systems research. However, conventional measures of project success are difficult to apply to Free/Libre Open Source Software projects. In this paper, we present an analysis of four measures of success applied to SourceForge projects: number of members of the extended development community, project activity, bug fixing time and number of downloads. We argue that these four measures provide different insights into the collaboration and control mechanisms of the projects. JF - Workshop on Open Source Software Engineering, 26th International Conference on Software Engineering CY - Edinburgh ER - TY - ABST T1 - Collective Learning in Distributed Groups (Research in progress) Y1 - 2003 A1 - Annabi, Hala A1 - Kevin Crowston KW - FLOSS PB - Syracuse University School of Information Studies ER - TY - Generic T1 - Defining Open Source Software project success T2 - Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) Y1 - 2003 A1 - Kevin Crowston A1 - Annabi, Hala A1 - James Howison KW - FLOSS AB - Information systems success is one of the most widely used dependent variables in information systems research. In this paper, we identify a range of measures that can be used to assess the success of Open Source Software (OSS) projects. We identify measures based on a review of the literature, a consideration of the OSS development process and an analysis of the opinions of OSS developers. For each measure, we provide examples of how they might be used in a study of OSS development. JF - Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS) CY - Seattle, WA, December ER -