Brenda, I want to echo Bob's sentiments, this is very useful information. I have only cursorily read it but I have ideas of the different ways to put your research to good use for both the Koha and Evergreen communities. Thanks so much for sharing it.
Lori =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Lori Bowen Ayre // Library Technology Consultant / The Galecia Group Oversight Board & Communications Committee / Evergreen (707) 763-6869 // lori.a...@galecia.com <lori.a...@galecia.com>Specializing in open source ILS solutions, RFID, filtering, workflow optimization, and materials handling =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= On Tue, Aug 9, 2011 at 5:25 AM, Bob Birchall <b...@calyx.net.au> wrote: > On 05/08/11 13:07, Brenda Chawner wrote: > >> Several years ago I invited subscribers to this email discussion list to >> complete a Web-based survey as part of my PhD research. Since the data >> gathered were anonymous, I don’t know who the individual respondents were, >> which means I’m sending this summary of the findings to the list rather than >> to individuals. >> >> I am very grateful to the people who took the time to complete the survey, >> and provided such interesting perspectives on what factors influenced their >> satisfaction with a free/libre and open source software project. >> >> The abstract for the thesis is below, outlining the research method and >> summarising the main findings. >> >> Abstract >> >> The purpose of this research was to identify factors that affect >> participants’ satisfaction with their experience of a free/libre open source >> software (FLOSS) project. The research built on existing models of user >> satisfaction from the information systems literature, and also incorporated >> two characteristics of FLOSS projects first identified by Ye, Nakakoji, >> Yamamoto, and Kishida (2005), product openness and process >> openness. The central research question it answered was, What factors >> influence participant satisfaction with a free/libre and open source >> application software project? >> >> Richard Stallman’s reasons for setting up the GNU project and the Free >> Software Foundation arose from his frustration at being forced to be a >> passive user of software used for a Xerox printer. These suggest that being >> able to be an active participant in a FLOSS project is one factor that >> should be examined, and therefore the first sub-question this project >> answers is, What types of contributions do participants make to >> free/libre and open source software projects? >> >> Several studies have shown that the extent of participation in a FLOSS >> project varies from individual to individual, and this variation leads to >> the second sub-question, Do the factors that influence satisfaction vary for >> different types of participation? If so, in what way? >> >> A preliminary conceptual model of factors affecting participant >> satisfaction was developed, reflecting the key concepts identified in the >> literature. The main theoretical goal of this research was to test the model >> using empirical data. >> >> The research used a sequential, mixed methods approach. The first, >> qualitative stage involved reviewing documents from selected projects and >> interviewing a purposive sample of FLOSS project participants. The >> second, quantitative stage involved an online survey of FLOSS project >> participants, and the data gathered were used to test the conceptual model. >> >> The results of the first stage showed that participation in FLOSS projects >> was a more complex construct than previously reported in the literature. >> Seven distinct categories of activities were identified: >> >> * use; >> * interaction with code; >> * supporting the community; >> * outreach; >> * sponsorship; >> * management; and >> * governance. >> >> Four attributes that modified these categories were also identified: >> organisational focus, role formality, remuneration, and time commitment. >> >> Data from 154 responses to the online survey were used to test the model >> using stepwise multiple regression, which determined the effect of each of >> the variables on overall participant satisfaction. Moderated regression >> analysis was used to test the effects of three potential moderating >> variables. The results showed that that perceived system complexity had the >> largest effect, decreasing satisfaciton if respondents perceived that the >> software was complex, while project openness and perceived developer >> communication quality accounted for the most variance in satisfaction. >> >> The main theoretical contribution of this research lies in its extension >> of satisfaction studies to FLOSS communities, showing that communication and >> openness are more important than in conventional software >> projects. Its practical contribution will help people involved in the >> management and governance of FLOSS projects to identify ways of increasing >> their participants’ satisfaction, which may in turn encourage them to >> contribute more. >> >> The final version of the thesis is available in the VUW library’s research >> archive at: >> >> http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.**nz/bitstream/handle/10063/** >> 1710/thesis.pdf?sequence=4<http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10063/1710/thesis.pdf?sequence=4> >> >> Thank you again to everyone who completed the survey. Please let me know >> if you have any questions about this research. >> -- >> Dr. Brenda Chawner >> Senior Lecturer >> School of Information Management >> Victoria University of Wellington >> P O Box 600, Wellington NEW ZEALAND >> (04) 463 5780 | fax (04) 463 5446 | Room RH423 | brenda.chaw...@vuw.ac.nz >> > Hi Brenda, > Sincere thanks for sharing this precis of your findings with us. I think > you have made an extremely valuable contribution. The categorisation of > activities is useful. Moreover, your pointer to communication and openness > as drivers of user satisfaction strikes to me as an important finding, and > could (at least partially) explain differences in the robustness of the > communities surrounding different projects. On that score, Koha seems to me > to be exemplary. > Congratulations on your achievement and thanks for sharing your insights. > Kind regards, > Bob Birchall > CALYX > > > ______________________________**_________________ > Koha mailing list http://koha-community.org > Koha@lists.katipo.co.nz > http://lists.katipo.co.nz/**mailman/listinfo/koha<http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha> >
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