@article {9999, title = {Implications for hybrid newswork from the activities of local US television journalists during COVID}, journal = {Journalism Practice}, year = {In Press}, abstract = {

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, many local television (TV) newsrooms decided to have employees work from home (WFH) or from the field rather than from the newsroom, creating a kind of hybrid work characterized by flexible work location. From a review of research on telework and WFH, we identified possible impacts of WFH on work and on workers, with a particular focus on news work and news workers. Data on the impacts of hybrid work are drawn from interviews with local television news directors and journalists in the United States and observations of remote work. We found that through creative application of technology, WFH news workers could successfully create a newscast, albeit with some concerns about story quality. However, WFH did not seem to satisfy workers{\textquoteright} needs for socialization or learning individually or as a group. Lifted restrictions on gatherings are mitigating some of the experienced problems, but we expect to see continued challenges to news workers{\textquoteright} informal learning in hybrid work settings.

}, doi = {10.1080/17512786.2024.2344643}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Implications\%20for\%20hybrid\%20newswork\%20from\%20the\%20activities\%20of\%20local\%20US\%20television\%20journalists\%20during\%20COVID\%20to\%20share.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Keren Henderson and Kian Loong Lua and Raghav Raheja} } @article {zevin2023gravity, title = {Gravity Spy: Lessons Learned and a Path Forward}, journal = {European Physical Journal Plus}, volume = {139}, year = {2024}, month = {01/2024}, pages = {Article 100}, abstract = {

The Gravity Spy project aims to uncover the origins of glitches, transient bursts of noise that hamper analysis of gravitational-wave data. By using both the work of citizen-science volunteers and machine-learning algorithms, the Gravity Spy project enables reliable classification of glitches. Citizen science and machine learning are intrinsically coupled within the Gravity Spy framework, with machine-learning classifications providing a rapid first-pass classification of the dataset and enabling tiered volunteer training, and volunteer-based classifications verifying the machine classifications, bolstering the machine-learning training set and identifying new morphological classes of glitches. These classifications are now routinely used in studies characterizing the performance of the LIGO gravitational-wave detectors. Providing the volunteers with a training framework that teaches them to classify a wide range of glitches, as well as additional tools to aid their investigations of interesting glitches, empowers them to make discoveries of new classes of glitches. This demonstrates that, when giving suitable support, volunteers can go beyond simple classification tasks to identify new features in data at a level comparable to domain experts. The Gravity Spy project is now providing volunteers with more complicated data that includes auxiliary monitors of the detector to identify the root cause of glitches.

}, doi = {10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04795-4}, author = {Michael Zevin and Corey B. Jackson and Zoheyr Doctor and Yunan Wu and Carsten {\O}sterlund and L. Clifton Johnson and Christopher P. L. Berry and Kevin Crowston and Scott B. Coughlin and Vicky Kalogera and Sharan Banagiri and Derek Davis and Jane Glanzer and Renzhi Hao and Aggelos K. Katsaggelos and Oli Patane and Jennifer Sanchez and Joshua Smith and Siddharth Soni and Laura Trouille and Marissa Walker and Irina Aerith and Wilfried Domainko and Victor-Georges Baranowski and Gerhard Niklasch and Barbara T{\'e}gl{\'a}s} } @proceedings {wang2024reelframer, title = {ReelFramer: Human-AI Co-Creation for News-to-Video Translation}, year = {2024}, address = {Honolulu, Hawai{\textquoteright}i}, abstract = {

Short videos on social media are the dominant way young people consume content. News outlets aim to reach audiences through news reels -- short videos conveying news -- but struggle to translate traditional journalistic formats into short, entertaining videos. To translate news into social media reels, we support journalists in reframing the narrative. In literature, narrative framing is a high-level structure that shapes the overall presentation of a story. We identified three narrative framings for reels that adapt social media norms but preserve news value, each with a different balance of information and entertainment. We introduce ReelFramer, a human-AI co-creative system that helps journalists translate print articles into scripts and storyboards. ReelFramer supports exploring multiple narrative framings to find one appropriate to the story. AI suggests foundational narrative details, including characters, plot, setting, and key information. ReelFramer also supports visual framing; AI suggests character and visual detail designs before generating a full storyboard. Our studies show that narrative framing introduces the necessary diversity to translate various articles into reels, and establishing foundational details helps generate scripts that are more relevant and coherent. We also discuss the benefits of using narrative framing and foundational details in content retargeting.

}, url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2304.09653}, author = {Sitong Wang and Samia Menon and Tao Long and Keren Henderson and Dingzeyu Li and Kevin Crowston and Mark Hansen and Jeffrey V. Nickerson and Lydia B. Chilton} } @proceedings {petridis2023anglekindling, title = {AngleKindling: Supporting Journalistic Angle Ideation with Large Language Models}, year = {2023}, doi = {10.1145/3544548.3580907}, url = {https://savvaspetridis.github.io/papers/anglekindling.pdf}, author = {Petridis, Savvas and Diakopoulos, Nicholas and Crowston, Kevin and Hansen, Mark and Henderson, Keren and Jastrzebski, Stan and Nickerson, Jefrey V and Chilton, Lydia B} } @article {2023, title = {Perceived benefits of open data are improving but scientists still lack resources, skills, and rewards}, journal = {Humanities and Social Sciences Communications}, volume = {10}, year = {2023}, month = {Jan-12-2023}, doi = {10.1057/s41599-023-01831-7}, author = {Borycz, Joshua and Olendorf, Robert and Specht, Alison and Grant, Bruce and Crowston, Kevin and Tenopir, Carol and Allard, Suzie and Rice, Natalie M. and Hu, Rachael and Sandusky, Robert J.} } @article {wang2023reelframer, title = {Video for ReelFramer: Co-creating News Reels on Social Media with Generative AI}, year = {2023}, type = {Video}, url = {https://youtu.be/WQZcbdp5yJQ}, author = {Sitong Wang and Samia Menon and Tao Long and Keren Henderson and Dingzeyu Li and Kevin Crowston and Mark Hansen and Jeffrey V. Nickerson and Lydia B. Chilton} } @conference {2022, title = {Communicating with the masses from isolation: What happened when local television journalists worked from home}, booktitle = {Hawai{\textquoteright}i International Conference on System Sciences}, year = {2022}, month = {1/2022}, address = {Virtual due to COVID}, abstract = {

In response to the COVID-19 crises, many local TV newsrooms decided to have employees work from home (WFH) or the field rather than from the newsroom. From a review of research on telework, we identified possible impacts of WFH on worker effectiveness, conceptualized as including output, individual satisfaction and growth, and group well-being. From a case study of a local TV newsroom and interviews with news directors, we found that WFH was successful in creating a newscast, albeit with some concerns about story quality. However, WFH did not seem to satisfy workers individually or as a group. The current lifting of restrictions on gatherings might mitigate some of the experienced problems, but we expect to see challenges to news worker learning with continued WFH.

}, doi = {10.24251/HICSS.2022.858}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Journalists\%20work\%20from\%20home_HICSS\%20Version_Final\%20Submission_Unlinked.pdf}, author = {Keren Henderson and Raghav Raheja and Kevin Crowston} } @article {9998, title = {Assessment, Usability, and Sociocultural Impacts of DataONE: A Global Research Data Cyberinfrastructure Initiative}, journal = {International Journal of Digital Curation}, volume = {16}, year = {2021}, month = {04/2021}, abstract = {

DataONE, funded from 2009-2019 by the U.S. National Science Foundation, is an early example of a large-scale project that built both a cyberinfrastructure and culture of data discovery, sharing, and reuse. DataONE used a Working Group model, where a diverse group of participants collaborated on targeted research and development activities to achieve broader project goals. This article summarizes the work carried out by two of DataONE{\textquoteright}s working groups: Usability \& Assessment (2009-2019) and Sociocultural Issues (2009-2014). The activities of these working groups provide a unique longitudinal look at how scientists, librarians, and other key stakeholders engaged in convergence research to identify and analyze practices around research data management through the development of boundary objects, an iterative assessment program, and reflection. Members of the working groups disseminated their findings widely in papers, presentations, and datasets, reaching international audiences through publications in 25 different journals and presentations to over 5,000 people at interdisciplinary venues. The working groups helped inform the DataONE cyberinfrastructure and influenced the evolving data management landscape. By studying working groups over time, the paper also presents lessons learned about the working group model for global large-scale projects that bring together participants from multiple disciplines and communities in convergence research.

}, doi = {10.2218/ijdc.v16i1.678 }, author = {Robert J. Sandusky and Suzie Allard and Lynn Baird and Leah Cannon and Kevin Crowston and Amy Forrester and Bruce Grant and Rachael Hu and Robert Olendorf and Danielle Pollock and Alison Specht and Carol Tenopir and Rachel Volentine} } @article {soni2021discovering, title = {Discovering features in gravitational-wave data through detector characterization, citizen science and machine learning}, journal = {Classical and Quantum Gravity}, volume = {38}, year = {2021}, doi = {10.1088/1361-6382/ac1ccb}, author = {S Soni and C P L Berry and S B Coughlin and M Harandi and C B Jackson and K Crowston and C {\O}sterlund and O Patane and A K Katsaggelos and L Trouille and V-G Baranowski and W F Domainko and K Kaminski and M A Lobato Rodriguez and U Marciniak and P Nauta and G Niklasch and R R Rote and B T{\'e}gl{\'a}s and C Unsworth and C Zhang} } @article {9999, title = {Evaluating MIDST, a system to support stigmergic team coordination}, journal = {Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction}, volume = {5}, year = {2021}, month = {04/2021}, pages = {Article 36}, abstract = {

Data science teams working on a shared analysis face coordination problems such as dividing up the work to be done, monitoring performance and integrating the pieces. Research on distributed software development teams has raised the potential of stigmergic coordination, that is, coordination through a shared work product in place of explicit communication. The MIDST system was developed to support stigmergic coordination by making individual contributions to a shared work product visible, legible and combinable. In this paper, we present initial studies of a total of 40 student teams (24 using MIDST) that shows that teams that used MIDST did experience the intended system affordances to support their work, did seem to coordinate at least in part stigmergically and performed better on an assigned project.

}, keywords = {stigmergic coordination; translucency; awareness; data-science teams}, doi = {10.1145/3449110}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CSCW_2020_MIDST_paper_final_0.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Jeffery Saltz and Niraj Sitaula and Yatish Hegde} } @article {9998, title = {Examining Open Innovation in Science (OIS): What Open Innovation can and cannot offer the science of science}, journal = {Innovation: Organization \& Management}, year = {2021}, abstract = {

Scholars across disciplines increasingly hear calls for more open and collaborative approaches to scientific research. The concept of Open Innovation in Science (OIS) provides a framework that integrates dispersed research efforts aiming to understand the antecedents, contingencies, and consequences of applying open and collaborative research practices. While the OIS framework has already been taken up by science of science scholars, its conceptual underpinnings require further specification. In this essay, we critically examine the OIS concept and bring to light two key aspects: 1) how OIS builds upon Open Innovation (OI) research by adopting its attention to boundary-crossing knowledge flows and by adapting other concepts developed and researched in OI to the science context as exemplified by two OIS cases in the area of research funding; 2) how OIS conceptualises knowledge flows across boundaries. While OI typically focuses on well-defined organizational boundaries, we argue that blurry and even invisible boundaries between communities of practice may more strongly constrain flows of knowledge related to openness and collaboration in science. Given the uptake of this concept, this essay brings needed clarity to the meaning of OIS, which has no particular normative orientation toward a close coupling between science and industry. We end by outlining the essay{\textquoteright}s contributions to OI and the science of science, as well as to science practitioners.

}, doi = {10.1080/14479338.2021.1999248}, author = {Susanne Beck and Marcel LaFlamme and Carsten Bergenholtz and Marcel Bogers and Tiare-Maria Brasseur and Marie-Louise Conradsen and Kevin Crowston and Diletta Di Marco and Agnes Effert and Despoina Filiou and Lars Frederiksen and Thomas Gillier and Marc Gruber and Carolin Haeussler and Karin Hoisl and Olga Kokshagina and Maria-Theresa Norn and Marion Poetz and Gernot Pruschak and Laia Pujol Priego and Agnieszka Radziwon and Alexander Ruser and Henry Sauermann and Sonali Shah and Julia Suess-Reyes and Christopher L. Tucci and Philipp Tuertscher and Jane Bj{\o}rn Vedel and Roberto Verganti and Jonathan Wareham and Sunny Mosangzi Xu} } @article {9998, title = {Functional and Visionary Leadership in Self-Managing Virtual Teams}, journal = {Group \& Organization Management}, volume = {46}, year = {2021}, month = {04/2021}, pages = {424{\textendash}460}, abstract = {

In this conceptual article, we present a theory of leadership in self-managing virtual teams. We describe leadership in this setting as a process that results in the creation, reinforcement and evolution of shared mental models and shared norms that influence team member behaviour towards the successful accomplishment of shared goals. We distinguish two types of leadership. We identify leadership that works within and reinforces existing models and norms to influence team contributions as {\textquotedblleft}functional{\textquotedblright} leadership. We identify leadership that results in changes in models and norms as {\textquotedblleft}visionary{\textquotedblright} leadership. We propose that successful self-managing virtual teams require both types of leadership and that they will exhibit a paradoxical combination of shared, distributed functional leadership complemented by strong, concentrated and centralized visionary leadership and that visionary leadership is enabled by functional leadership in the form of substantive team member contributions.

}, keywords = {functional leadership, Leadership, Self-managing teams, structuration theory, virtual teams, visionary leadership}, doi = {10.1177/1059601120955034}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/1059601120955034_0.pdf}, author = {Eseryel, U. Yeliz and Kevin Crowston and Heckman, Robert} } @mastersthesis {2021, title = {Occasional Groups in Crowdsourcing Platforms}, year = {2021}, month = {7/2021}, school = {Syracuse University}, type = {Doctoral Thesis}, address = {Syracuse, NY, USA}, abstract = {Contributors to online crowdsourcing systems generally work independently on pieces of the product but in some cases, task interdependencies may require collaboration to develop a final product. These collaborations though take a distinctive form because of the nature of crowdsourced work. Collaboration may be implicit instead of explicit. Individuals engaged in a group conversation may not stay with the group for long, i.e., the group is an {\textquotedblleft}occasional group.{\textquotedblright} Occasional group interactions are often not well supported by systems, as they are not designed for team work. This dissertation examines the characteristics and work of occasional groups in the Gravity Spy citizen science project. Occasional groups in this system form to reach agreement about the description of novel categories of data that volunteers identify in the system. The author first employed virtual ethnography over six months to investigate volunteers{\textquoteright} interactions and to identify features of the occasional groups in this setting. Most groups were transient, interacting only for a short time to develop one product, but a few worked together repeatedly. To describe the overall process of finding new categories brings individuals to work together, the author interviewed nine active volunteers about their work practices. Volunteers individually or collectively use tools such as hashtags, collections and a search tool to identify examples of a new category and to agree on a name and description. Finally, the author investigated the details of the processes of developing proposals for four new categories over three years. She employed virtual and trace ethnography to collect messages from several discussion threads and boards to identify the analytical moves made by occasional group members in developing a new category. Volunteers would speculate on a new pattern and its causes, discuss how different categories are related and split or merge descriptions. They employed techniques such as detailed descriptions of data to create common ground, @-mention of other volunteers to increase the visibility of their work to each other and use of the category proposal as a vehicle to coordinate their actions. Findings contribute to the group literature by recognizing that groups with no formal formation and work processes are capable of doing work that would not otherwise be possible. The results advance our understanding of group categorization literature by showing how the analytical moves are different when group members work occasionally. The thesis also provides some suggestions for better support of occasional groups in crowdsourcing platforms.

}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Dissertation_MH.pdf}, author = {Mahboobeh Harandi} } @proceedings {2018, title = {The Genie in the Bottle: Different Stakeholders, Different Interpretations of Machine Learning}, year = {2020}, type = {Working paper}, address = {Wailea, HI}, abstract = {

Machine learning (ML) constitute an algorithmic phenomenon with some distinctive characteristics (e.g., being trained, probabilistic). Our understanding of such systems is limited when it comes to how these unique characteristics play out in organizational settings and what challenges different groups of users will face in working with them. We explore how people developing or using an ML system come to understand its capabilities and challenges. We draw on the social construction of technology tradition to frame our analysis of interviews and discussion board posts involving designers and users of a ML-supported citizen-science crowdsourcing project named Gravity Spy. Our findings reveal some of the challenges facing different relevant social groups. We find that groups with less interaction with the technology have their understanding. We find that the type of understandings achieved by groups having less interaction with the technology is shaped by outside influences rather than the specifics of the system and its role in the project. Notable, some users mistake human input for ML input. This initial understanding of how different participants understand and engage with ML point to challenges that need to be overcome to help participants deal with the opaque position ML often hold in a work system.

}, doi = {10.24251/HICSS.2020.719 }, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Social_Construction_of_ML_in_GS_HICCS2020.pdf}, author = {Mahboobeh Harandi and Kevin Crowston and Corey Jackson and Carsten {\O}sterlund} } @article {9998, title = {Knowledge Tracing to Model Learning in Online Citizen Science Projects}, journal = {IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies}, volume = {13}, year = {2020}, pages = {123-134}, abstract = {

We present the design of a citizen science system that uses machine learning to guide the presentation of image classification tasks to newcomers to help them more quickly learn how to do the task while still contributing to the work of the project. A Bayesian model for tracking volunteer learning for training with tasks with uncertain outcomes is presented and fit to data from 12,986 volunteer contributors. The model can be used both to estimate the ability of volunteers and to decide the classification of an image. A simulation of the model applied to volunteer promotion and image retirement suggests that the model requires fewer classifications than the current system.

}, issn = {1939-1382}, doi = {10.1109/TLT.2019.2936480 }, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/transaction\%20paper\%20final\%20figures\%20in\%20text.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Carsten {\O}sterlund and Tae Kyoung Lee and Corey Brian Jackson and Mahboobeh Harandi and Sarah Allen and Sara Bahaadini and Scott Coughlin and Aggelos Katsaggelos and Shane Larson and Neda Rohani and Joshua Smith and Laura Trouille and Michael Zevin} } @article {2020, title = {MIDST: An enhanced development environment that improves the maintainability of a data science analysis}, journal = {International Journal of Information Systems and Project Management}, volume = {8}, year = {2020}, abstract = {

With the increasing ability to generate actionable insight from data, the field of data science has seen significant growth. As more teams develop data science solutions, the analytical code they develop will need to be enhanced in the future, by an existing or a new team member. Thus, the importance of being able to easily maintain and enhance the code required for an analysis will increase. However, to date, there has been minimal research on the maintainability of an analysis done by a data science team. To help address this gap, data science maintainability was explored by (1) creating a data science maintainability model, (2) creating a new tool, called MIDST (Modular Interactive Data Science Tool), that aims to improve data science maintainability, and then (3) conducting a mixed method experiment to evaluate MIDST. The new tool aims to improve the ability of a team member to update and rerun an existing data science analysis by providing a visual data flow view of the analysis within an integrated code and computational environment. Via an analysis of the quantitative and qualitative survey results, the experiment found that MIDST does help improve the maintainability of an analysis. Thus, this research demonstrates the importance of enhanced tools to help improve the maintainability of data science projects.

}, doi = {10.12821/ijispm080301}, url = {http://www.sciencesphere.org/ijispm/archive/ijispm-080301.pdf}, author = {Jeffery Saltz and Kevin Crowston and Heckman, Robert and Yatish Hegde} } @article {9999, title = {Shifting forms of Engagement: Volunteer Learning in Online Citizen Science}, journal = {Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction}, year = {2020}, pages = {36}, abstract = {

Open collaboration platforms involve people in many tasks, from editing articles to analyzing datasets. To facilitate mastery of these practices, communities offer a number of learning resources, ranging from project-defined FAQs to individually-oriented search tools and communal discussion boards. However, it is not clear which project resources best support participant learning, overall and at different stages of engagement with the project. We draw on S{\o}rensen{\textquoteright}s framework of forms of presence to distinguish three forms of engagement with learning resources: authoritative, agent-centered and communal. We analyzed trace data from the GravitySpy citizen-science project using a mixed-effects logistic regression with volunteer performance as an outcome variable. The findings suggest that engagement with authoritative resources (e.g., those constructed by project organizers) facilitates performance initially. However, as tasks become more difficult, volunteers seek and benefit from engagement with their own agent-centered resources and community generated resources. These findings suggest a broader scope for the design of learning resources for online communities.

}, doi = {10.1145/3392841}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/3392841.pdf}, author = {Corey Brian Jackson and Carsten {\O}sterlund and Mahboobeh Harandi and Kevin Crowston and Laura Trouille} } @article {9999, title = {Teaching Citizen Scientists to Categorize Glitches using Machine-Learning-Guided Training}, journal = {Computers in Human Behavior}, volume = {105}, year = {2020}, pages = {106198}, abstract = {

Training users in online communities is important for making high performing contributors. However, several conundrums exists in choosing the most effective approaches to training users. For example, if it takes time to learn to do the task correctly, then the initial contributions may not be of high enough quality to be useful. We conducted an online field experiment where we recruited users (N = 386) in a web-based citizen-science project to evaluate the two training approaches. In one training regime, users received one-time training and were asked to learn and apply twenty classes to the data. In the other approach, users were gradually exposed to classes of data that were selected by trained machine learning algorithms as being members of particular classes. The results of our analysis revealed that the gradual training produced {\textquotedblleft}high performing contributors{\textquotedblright}. In our comparison of the treatment and control groups we found users who experienced gradual training performed significantly better on the task (an average accuracy of 90\% vs. 54\%), contributed more work (an average of 228 vs. 121 classifications), and were retained in the project for a longer period of time (an average of 2.5 vs. 2 sessions). The results suggests online production communities seeking to train newcomers would benefit from training regimes that gradually introduce them to the work of the project using real tasks.

}, doi = {10.1016/j.chb.2019.106198}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/MLGT-preprint.pdf}, author = {Corey Jackson and Carsten {\O}sterlund and Kevin Crowston and Mahboobeh Harandi and Sarah Allen and Sara Bahaadini and Scott Coughlin and Vicky Kalogera and Aggelos Katsaggelos and Shane Larson and Neda Rohani and Joshua Smith and Laura Trouille and Michael Zevin} } @article {2019, title = {Classifying the unknown: Discovering novel gravitational-wave detector glitches using similarity learning}, journal = {Physical Review D}, volume = {99}, year = {2019}, pages = {082002}, abstract = {

The observation of gravitational waves from compact binary coalescences by LIGO and Virgo has begun a new era in astronomy. A critical challenge in making detections is determining whether loud transient features in the data are caused by gravitational waves or by instrumental or environmental sources. The citizen-science project Gravity Spy has been demonstrated as an efficient infrastructure for classifying known types of noise transients (glitches) through a combination of data analysis performed by both citizen volunteers and machine learning. We present the next iteration of this project, using similarity indices to empower citizen scientists to create large data sets of unknown transients, which can then be used to facilitate supervised machine-learning characterization. This new evolution aims to alleviate a persistent challenge that plagues both citizen-science and instrumental detector work: the ability to build large samples of relatively rare events. Using two families of transient noise that appeared unexpectedly during LIGO{\textquoteright}s second observing run, we demonstrate the impact that the similarity indices could have had on finding these new glitch types in the Gravity Spy program.

}, issn = {2470-0010}, doi = {10.1103/PhysRevD.99.082002}, author = {Scott Coughlin and Sara Bahaadini and Neda Rohani and Michael Zevin and Patane, Oli and Mahboobeh Harandi and Corey Brian Jackson and Noroozi, V. and Sarah Allen and Areeda, J. and Coughlin, M. and Ruiz, P. and Berry, C. P. L. and Kevin Crowston and Aggelos Katsaggelos and Andrew Lundgren and Carsten {\O}sterlund and Joshua Smith and Laura Trouille and Vicky Kalogera} } @inbook {2019, title = {Comprehensive collaboration plans: Practical considerations spanning across individual collaborators to institutional supports}, booktitle = {Strategies for Team Science Success}, year = {2019}, pages = {587-611}, publisher = {Springer International Publishing}, organization = {Springer International Publishing}, address = {Cham}, abstract = {This chapter provides a framework for integrating and applying the principles and strategies for effective team science that are described in this volume. The framework, called Collaboration Planning, aims to guide a deliberative approach to assess and plan for ten key influences on both scientific and collaborative success. These influences range from the initial scientific rationale for a team science approach to the collaboration readiness of participating individuals and institutions to team communication and coordination mechanisms to quality improvement for team functioning. The Collaboration Planning framework guides current or future collaborators through dialogue and planning around each influence. It draws their attention to key issues for consideration related to each influence, and facilitates discussion of how to leverage facilitating factors and plan for, or mitigate, challenges. Decisions are captured in a resulting written document called the Collaboration Plan. The Collaboration Plan summarizes the various ways the team plans to build the foundation for, and support, effective collaboration across the lifespan of the team science initiative. Collaboration Plans can be used in multiple ways. The Plans{\textquoteright} core function is as a roadmap to facilitate effective team formation and functioning. The Plan also can be used for benchmarking or guiding quality improvement-oriented evaluation. Collaboration Plans also can be used to communicate a team{\textquoteright}s likelihood of collaborative success, goals, and needs to a wide variety of audiences, including funders, current and future team members, stakeholders in the team{\textquoteright}s success, and organizational leaders. In addition, they can be used as models to guide future teams in laying the foundation for success.}, isbn = {978-3-030-20990-2}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-030-20992-6_45}, author = {Hall, Kara L. and Vogel, Amanda L. and Crowston, Kevin}, editor = {Hall, Kara L. and Vogel, Amanda L. and Croyle, Robert T.} } @proceedings {9999, title = {Coordination in OSS 2.0: ANT Approach}, year = {2019}, abstract = {

Open source software projects are increasingly driven by a combination of independent and professional developers, the former volunteers and the later hired by a company to contribute to the project to support commercial product development. This mix of developers has been referred to as OSS 2.0. However, we do not fully understand the multi-layered coordination spanning individuals, teams, and organizations. Using Actor-Network Theory (ANT), we describe how coordination and power dynamics unfold among developers and how different tools and artifacts both display activities and mediate coordination efforts. Internal communication within an organization was reported to cause broken links in the community, duplication of work, and political tensions. ANT shows how tools and code can exercise agency and alter a software development process as an equivalently active actor of the scene. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the changing nature of open source software development.

}, keywords = {actor-network theory, free/libre open source, Stigmergy}, doi = {10.24251/HICSS.2019.120}, url = { http://hdl.handle.net/10125/59538}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/hicss52a-sub2136-cam-i8-2.pdf}, author = {Sangseok You and Kevin Crowston and Jeffery Saltz and Yatish Hegde} } @proceedings {9999, title = {Helping data science students develop task modularity}, year = {2019}, abstract = {

This paper explores the skills needed to be a data scientist. Specifically, we report on a mixed method study of a project-based data science class, where we evaluated student effectiveness with respect to dividing a project into appropriately sized modular tasks, which we termed task modularity. Our results suggest that while data science students can appreciate the value of task modularity, they struggle to achieve effective task modularity. As a first step, based our study, we identified six task decomposition best practices. However, these best practices do not fully address this gap of how to enable data science students to effectively use task modularity. We note that while computer science/information system programs typically teach modularity (e.g., the decomposition process and abstraction), and there remains a need identify a corresponding model to that used for computer science / information system students, to teach modularity to data science students.

}, keywords = {data science, modularity, Stigmergy}, doi = {10.24251/HICSS.2019.134}, url = {http://hdl.handle.net/10125/59549}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/modularity-HICSS-final-afterReview.pdf}, author = {Jeffery Saltz and Heckman, Robert and Kevin Crowston and Sangseok You and Yatish Hegde} } @proceedings {9999, title = {Linguistic adoption in online citizen science: A structurational perspective}, year = {2019}, address = {Munich, Germany}, abstract = {

For peer-production projects to be successful, members must develop a specific and common language that enables them to cooperate. We address the question of what factors affect the development of shared language in open peer production communities? Answering this question is important because we want the communities to be productive even when self-managed, which requires understanding how shared language emerges. We examine this question using a structurational lens in the setting of a citizen science project. Examining the use of words in the Gravity Spy citizen science project, we find that many words are reused and that most novel words that are introduced are not picked up, showing reproduction of structure. However, some novel words are used by others, showing an evolution of the structure. Participants with roles closer to the science are more likely to have their words reused, showing the mutually reinforcing nature of structures of signification, legitimation and domination.

}, url = {https://aisel.aisnet.org /icis2019/crowds_social/crowds_social/28/}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Linguistic\%20Adoption\%20\%28ICIS\%29\%20final.pdf}, author = {Corey Brian Jackson and Carsten {\O}sterlund and Mahboobeh Harandi and Dhruv Kharwar and Kevin Crowston} } @article {2019, title = {Socio-technical affordances for stigmergic coordination implemented in MIDST, a tool for data-science teams}, journal = {Proceedings of the ACM }, volume = {3}, year = {2019}, pages = {Article 117}, abstract = {

We present a conceptual framework for socio-technical affordances for stigmergic coordination, that is, coordination supported by a shared work product. Based on research on free/libre open source software development, we theorize that stigmergic coordination depends on three sets of socio-technical affordances: the visibility and combinability of the work, along with defined genres of work contributions. As a demonstration of the utility of the developed framework, we use it as the basis for the design and implementation of a system, MIDST, that supports these affordances and that we thus expect to support stigmergic coordination. We describe an initial assessment of the impact of the tool on the work of project teams of three to six data-science students that suggests that the tool was useful but also in need of further development. We conclude with plans for future research and an assessment of theory-driven system design.

}, keywords = {stigmergic coordination; translucency; awareness; data-science teams}, doi = {10.1145/3359219}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/cscw117-crowstonA.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Jeffery Saltz and Amira Rezgui and Yatish Hegde and Sangseok You} } @article {9999, title = {Appealing to different motivations in a message to recruit citizen scientists: results of a field experiment}, journal = {Journal of Science Communication}, volume = {17}, year = {2018}, chapter = {A02}, abstract = {

This study examines the relative efficacy of citizen science recruitment messages appealing to four motivations that were derived from previous research on motives for participation in citizen-science projects. We report on an experiment (N=36,513) that compared the response to email messages designed to appeal to these four motives for participation. We found that the messages appealing to the possibility of contributing to science and learning about science attracted more attention than did one about helping scientists but that one about helping scientists generated more initial contributions. Overall, the message about contributing to science resulted in the largest volume of contributions and joining a community, the lowest. The results should be informative to those managing citizen-science projects.

}, keywords = {Citizen Science}, doi = {10.22323/2.17010202}, url = {https://jcom.sissa.it/archive/17/01/JCOM_1701_2018_A02}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/JCOM_1701_2018_A02.pdf}, author = {Lee, Tae Kyoung and Kevin Crowston and Mahboobeh Harandi and Carsten {\O}sterlund and Grant Miller} } @article {9999, title = {Folksonomies to support coordination and coordination of folksonomies}, journal = {Computer Supported Cooperative Work}, volume = {27}, year = {2018}, pages = {647{\textendash}678}, abstract = {

Members of highly-distributed groups in online production communities face challenges in achieving coordinated action. Existing CSCW research highlights the importance of shared language and artifacts when coordinating actions in such settings. To better understand how such shared language and artifacts are, not only a guide for, but also a result of collaborative work we examine the development of folksonomies (i.e., volunteer-generated classification schemes) to support coordinated action. Drawing on structuration theory, we conceptualize a folksonomy as an interpretive schema forming a structure of signification. Our study is set in the context of an online citizen-science project, Gravity Spy, in which volunteers label "glitches" (noise events recorded by a scientific instrument) to identify and name novel classes of glitches. Through a multi-method study combining virtual and trace ethnography, we analyze folksonomies and the work of labelling as mutually constitutive, giving folksonomies a dual role: an emergent folksonomy supports the volunteers in labelling images at the same time that the individual work of labelling images supports the development of a folksonomy. However, our analysis suggests that the lack of supporting norms and authoritative resources (structures of legitimation and domination) undermines the power of the folksonomy and so the ability of volunteers to coordinate their decisions about naming novel glitch classes. These results have implications design. If we hope to support the development of emergent folksonomies online production communities need to facilitate 1) tag gardening, a process of consolidating overlapping terms of artifacts; 2) demarcate a clear home for discourses around folksonomy disagreements; 3) highlight clearly when decisions have been reached; and 4) inform others about those decisions.

}, doi = {10.1007/s10606-018-9327-z}, url = {https://rdcu.be/NZ7E}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/ECSCW-Paper-Final.pdf}, author = {Corey Brian Jackson and Kevin Crowston and Carsten {\O}sterlund and Mahboobeh Harandi} } @article {9999, title = {Roles and politeness behavior in community-based Free/Libre Open Source Software development}, journal = {Information and Management}, volume = {54}, year = {2017}, pages = {573-582}, abstract = {Community-based Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) development relies on contributions from both core and peripheral members. Prior research on core-periphery has focused on software coding-related behaviors. We study how core-periphery roles are related to social-relational behavior in terms of politeness behavior. Data from two FLOSS projects suggest that both core and peripheral members use more positive politeness strategies than negative strategies. Further, core and peripheral members use different strategies to protect positive face in positive politeness, which we term respect and intimacy respectively. Our results contribute to FLOSS research and politeness theory. }, keywords = {Core-periphery structure, Open source software development, Politeness behavior}, doi = {10.1016/j.im.2016.11.006}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Group_maintenance\%20paper\%20to\%20share.pdf}, author = {Kangning Wei and Kevin Crowston and Eseryel, U. Yeliz and Heckman, Robert} } @article {2017, title = {Work~features to support stigmergic coordination in distributed teams}, year = {2017}, type = {Interactive paper}, abstract = {

When work products are shared via a computer system, members of distributed teams can see the work products produced by remote colleagues as easily as those from local colleagues. Drawing on coordination theory and work in computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), we theorize that these work products can provide information to support team coordination, that is, that work can be coordinated through the outcome of the work itself, a mode of coordination analogous to the biological process of stigmergy. Based on studies of documents and work, we postulate three features of work products that enable them to support team coordination, namely having a clear genre, being visible and mobile, and being combinable. These claims are illustrated with examples drawn from free/libre open source software development teams. We conclude by discussing how the proposed theory might be empirically tested.

}, keywords = {Coordination, Stigmergy}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Stigmergy\%20theory\%20paper\%20to\%20share.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and James Howison and Bolici, Francesco and Carsten {\O}sterlund} } @article {2016, title = {Manifesto on Engineering Academic Software (Dagstuhl Perspectives Workshop 16252)}, volume = {6}, year = {2016}, month = {12/2106}, institution = {Schloss Dagstuhl {\textendash} Leibniz Center for Informatics}, address = {Wadern, Germany}, abstract = {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 {\textquotedblleft}Engineering Academic Software{\textquotedblright} 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 {\textquotedblleft}pledges{\textquotedblright} that users and developers of academic research software can take as concrete steps towards improving the environment in which that software is produced.}, author = {Alice Allen and Cecilia Aragon and Christoph Becker and Jeffrey Carver and Andrei Chi{\c s} and Benoit Combemale and Mike Croucher and Kevin Crowston and Daniel Garijo and Ashish Gehani and Carole Goble and Robert Haines and Robert Hirschfeld and James Howison and Kathryn Huff and Caroline Jay and Daniel S. Katz and Claude Kirchner and Katie Kuksenok and Ralf L{\"a}mmel and Oscar Nierstrasz and Matt Turk and van Nieuwpoort, Rob and Matthew Vaughn and Jurgen Vinju} } @article {9998, title = {Stigmergic coordination in FLOSS development teams: Integrating explicit and implicit mechanisms}, journal = {Cognitive Systems Research}, volume = {38}, year = {2016}, pages = {14{\textendash}22}, keywords = {Coordination, Stigmergy}, doi = {10.1016/j.cogsys.2015.12.003}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/COGSYS-RS-\%28HHS\%29-\%282015\%29-\%283\%29.pdf}, author = {Bolici, Francesco and James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {2015, title = {Motivations for sustained participation in crowdsourcing: The role of talk in a citizen science case study}, year = {2015}, month = {1/2015}, address = {Koloa, HI}, abstract = {

The paper explores the motivations of volunteers in a large crowd sourcing project and contributes to our understanding of the motivational factors that lead to deeper engagement beyond initial participation. Drawing on the theory of legitimate peripheral participation (LPP) and the literature on motivation in crowd sourcing, we analyze interview and trace data from a large citizen science project. The analyses identify ways in which the technical features of the projects may serve as motivational factors leading participants towards sustained participation. The results suggest volunteers first engage in activities to support knowledge acquisition and later share knowledge with other volunteers and finally increase participation in Talk through a punctuated process of role discovery.

}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Motivation\%20in\%20Talk\%20Submitted_FINAL\%28Formatted\%29.pdf}, author = {Corey Brian Jackson and Carsten {\O}sterlund and Gabriel Mugar and Kevin Crowston and Katie DeVries Hassman} } @article {9999, title = {Perceived Discontinuities and Continuities in Transdisciplinary Scientific Working Groups}, journal = {Science of the Total Environment}, volume = {534}, year = {2015}, pages = {159-172 }, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.121}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/D1\%20Discontinuities\%20to\%20distribute.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Alison Specht and Carol Hoover and Chudoba, Katherine M. and Mary Beth Watson-Manheim} } @article {9999, title = {Collaboration through superposition: How the IT artifact as an object of collaboration affords technical interdependence without organizational interdependence}, journal = {MIS Quarterly}, volume = {38}, year = {2014}, month = {3/2104}, pages = {29-50}, abstract = {This paper develops a theory of collaboration through superposition: the process of depositing separate layers on top of each other over time. The theory is developed in a study of development of community-based Free and Open Source Software (FLOSS), through a research arc of discovery (participant observation), replication (two archival case studies) and formalization (a model of developer choices). The theory explains two key findings: 1) the overwhelming majority of work is accomplished with only a single programmer working on a task and 2) when tasks appear too large for an individual they are more likely to be deferred until they are easier, rather than being undertaken through structured teamwork. It is theorized that this way of organizing is key to successful open collaboration where the IT artifact is the object of collaboration, because it allows the co-production of technically interdependent artifacts through motivationally interdependent work. The affordances of software as an object of collaboration are used as a framework to analyze efforts to learn from FLOSS in other domains of work and in the IS function of for-profit organizations.}, doi = {10.25300/MISQ/2014/38.1.02}, url = {http://misq.org/collaboration-through-open-superposition.html}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CollaborationThroughSuperposition-WorkingPaper.pdf}, author = {James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @article {9998, title = {Group maintenance in technology-supported distributed teams}, journal = {Information \& Management}, volume = {51}, year = {2014}, month = {4/2014}, pages = {297-309}, abstract = {In this paper we investigate group maintenance behavior in community-based Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) development teams. Adopting a sociolinguistic perspective, we conceptualize group maintenance behavior as interpersonal communication tactics{\textemdash}specifically, social presence and politeness tactics{\textemdash}that help maintain relationships among group members. Developer email messages were collected from two FLOSS projects with different development status and content-analyzed to identify frequently-used group maintenance tactics. We then compared the two projects on the group maintenance tactics used, finding differences that reflect changes in the project work practices. Our work contributes theoretically to FLOSS research and has practical implications for FLOSS practitioners. }, doi = {10.1016/j.im.2014.02.001}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Group_maintenance\%20paper_part\%20I_20140122_final.pdf}, author = {Kangning Wei and Kevin Crowston and Li, Na and Heckman, Robert} } @article {2014, title = {How to Write a Collaboration Plan}, year = {2014}, institution = {National Cancer Institute}, address = {Bethesda, MD}, abstract = {Collaboration plans are written documents that investigators may use as a {\textquotedblleft}roadmap{\textquotedblright} for future collaborations. Funding agencies may ask investigators to submit Collaboration Plans as part of their funding applications, analogous to submitting research plans. Submitted collaboration plans can then be used by reviewers to help assess the capacity of a proposed team to collaboratively execute its scientific objectives. Collaboration plans address a range of issues relevant to laying the foundation for the collaboration, implementing and managing the collaboration, and engaging in quality improvement activities specific to collaborative interactions. These plans identify existing supports and challenges relevant to the collaboration, and describe a program of action that will be implemented to help support smooth collaboration. This working document, called {\textquotedblleft}How to Write a Collaboration Plan{\textquotedblright} is a product of a federal subcommittee on Collaboration and Team Science. The document provides guidance for writing a collaboration plan. It identifies ten key aspects of collaboration planning, and highlights specific issues for investigators to consider related to each of the ten aspects of planning. Collaboration planning may benefit any scientific endeavor that includes two or more investigators working together. Though as a proposed scientific collaboration grows in scope and size, such plans become increasingly important. More information on the origins of this document: The White House Office of National Science and Technology Policy{\textquoteright}s (OSTP) NITRD Program (Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program) provides a forum where many federal agencies come together to coordinate their networking and information technology (IT) research and development (R\&D) efforts. (More information at: https://www.nitrd.gov.) Team Science is of particular interest, given the prevalence of virtual collaboration in IT R\&D. In response, the NITRD Coordination Group on Social, Economic, and Workforce Implications of IT and IT Workforce Development (NITRD-SEW), developed a subcommittee on Collaboration and Team Science. The subcommittee includes members from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Justice (DOJ), NASA, and other federal agencies. In 2014, the subcommittee hosted a series of topical meetings on enhancing support for collaboration in science, which resulted in this document, {\textquotedblleft}How to Write a Collaboration Plan{\textquotedblright}, authored by subcommittee co-chairs Dr. Kara Hall (NIH) and Dr. Kevin Crowston (NSF), along with subcommittee member Dr. Amanda Vogel (Leidos Biomed).}, url = {https://www.teamsciencetoolkit.cancer.gov/Public/TSResourceBiblio.aspx?tid=3\&rid=3119}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/How\%20to\%20write\%20a\%20collaboration\%20plan\%20_Working\%20Draft\%202014_1122.pdf}, author = {Kara L. Hall and Kevin Crowston and Amanda L. Vogel} } @proceedings {9999, title = {Planet Hunters and Seafloor Explorers: Legitimate Peripheral Participation Through Practice Proxies in Online Citizen Science}, year = {2014}, month = {2/2014}, abstract = {

Making the traces of user participation in primary activities visible in online crowdsourced initiatives has been shown to help new users understand the norms of participation but participants do not always have access to others{\textquoteright} work. Through a combination of virtual and trace ethnography we explore how new users in two online citizen science projects engage other traces of activity as a way of compensating. Merging the theory of legitimate peripheral participation with Erickson and Kellogg{\textquoteright}s theory of social translucence we introduce the concept of practice proxies; traces of user activities in online environment that act as resources to orient newcomers towards the norms of practice. Our findings suggest that newcomers seek out practice proxies in the social features of the projects that highlight contextualized and specific characteristics of primary work practice.

}, doi = {10.1145/2531602.2531721}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/paper_revised\%20copy\%20to\%20post.pdf}, author = {Gabriel Mugar and Carsten {\O}sterlund and Katie DeVries Hassman and Kevin Crowston and Corey Brian Jackson} } @article {Crowston:2009, title = {Free/Libre Open Source Software Development: What we know and what we do not know}, journal = {ACM Computing Surveys}, volume = {44}, year = {2012}, month = {02/2012}, edition = {2}, abstract = {We review the empirical research on Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) development and assess the state of the literature. We develop a framework for organizing the literature based on the input-mediator-output- input (IMOI) model from the small groups literature. We present a quantitative summary of articles selected for the review and then discuss findings of this literature categorized into issues pertaining to inputs (e.g., member characteristics, technology use and project characteristics), processes (software development and social processes), emergent states (e.g., trust and task related states) and outputs (e.g. team performance, FLOSS implementation and project evolution). Based on this review, we suggest topics for future research, as well as identifying methodological and theoretical issues for future inquiry in this area, including issues relating to sampling and the need for more longitudinal studies.}, doi = {10.1145/2089125.2089127}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CrowstonFLOSSReviewPaperPreprint.pdf , https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Appendix\%201\%20Journal\%20and\%20Conference\%20Names.pdf , https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Appendix\%202\%20Coding\%20Scheme.pdf , https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Appendix\%203\%20Studies\%20included\%20in\%20the\%20review.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Kangning Wei and James Howison and Wiggins, Andrea} } @article {9999, title = {Using natural language processing for qualitative data analysis}, journal = {International Journal of Social Research Methodology}, volume = {15}, year = {2012}, month = {2012}, chapter = {523-543}, abstract = {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.}, doi = {10.1080/13645579.2011.625764}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/NLP_for_qualitative_analysis.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Allen, Eileen E. and Heckman, Robert} } @article {9999, title = {Validity issues in the use of social network analysis with digital trace data}, journal = {Journal of the Association for Information Systems}, volume = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {12/2011}, chapter = {Article 2}, abstract = {

There is an exciting natural match between social network analysis methods and the growth of data sources produced by social interactions via information technologies, from online communities to corporate information systems. Information Systems researchers have not been slow to embrace this combination of method and data. Such systems increasingly provide "digital trace data" that provide new research opportunities. Yet digital trace data are substantively different from the survey and interview data for which network analysis measures and interpretations were originally developed. This paper examines ten validity issues associated with the combination of data digital trace data and social network analysis methods, with examples from the IS literature, to provide recommendations for improving the validity of research using this combination.

}, doi = {10.17705/1jais.00282 }, url = {http://aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol12/iss12/2/}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/JAIS.RA-JAIS-08-0130-ReferencesFixed.pdf}, author = {James Howison and Kevin Crowston and Wiggins, Andrea} } @conference {2011, title = {Work as coordination and coordination as work: A process perspective on FLOSS development projects}, booktitle = {Third International Symposium on Process Organization Studies}, year = {2011}, month = {6/2011}, address = {Corfu, Greece}, url = {http://www.process-symposium.com/}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/PROS-134.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Carsten {\O}sterlund and James Howison and Bolici, Francesco} } @proceedings {2010, title = {Analyzing Leadership Dynamics in Distributed Group Communication}, year = {2010}, address = {Kauai, HI, 5{\textendash}8 January}, abstract = {We apply social network analysis (SNA) to examine the dynamics of leadership in distributed groups, specifically Free/Libre Open Source Software development projects, and its relation to group performance. Based on prior work on leadership in distributed groups, we identify leaders with those who make the highest level of contribution to the group and assess the degree of leadership by measuring centralization of communications. We compare the dynamics of leadership in two FLOSS projects, one more and one less effective. We find that in both projects, centralization was higher in developer-oriented communications venues than in user-oriented venues, suggesting higher degrees of leadership in developer venues. However, we do not find a consistent relation between centralization and effectiveness. We suggest that SNA can instead be useful for identifying interesting periods in the history of the project, e.g., periods where the leadership of the project is in transition.}, keywords = {FLOSS, Leadership}, issn = {0361-1434 }, doi = {10.1109/HICSS.2010.62}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/07-06-02.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Wiggins, Andrea and James Howison} } @article {9999, title = {Leadership in self-managing virtual teams}, year = {2010}, month = {12/2010}, publisher = {Syracuse University School of Information Studies}, abstract = {In this paper, we present a theory of leadership in self-managing virtual teams. We are particularly interested in self-managing virtual teams because self-management seems to be a common phenomenon in teams that interact primarily through information technology (so-called virtual teams). Building on leadership theory and structuration theory, the theory describes leadership as a process that results in the reinforcement, creation and evolution of ongoing structures and distinguishes between two types of leadership. We identify first-order leadership as leadership that works within and reinforces existing structures to elicit and guide group contributions. We define second-order leadership as behavior that effects changes in the structure that guides group action. We argue that second-order leadership is enabled by first-order leadership, is therefore action embedded, and is grounded in processes that define the social identity of the team. We propose that effective self-managing virtual teams will exhibit a paradoxical combination of shared, distributed first-order leadership complemented by strong, concentrated, and centralized second-order leadership. We conclude by presenting a set of research questions and suggestions for future research.}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/JOB\%20REVISED\%20to\%20distribute.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Heckman, Robert and Misiolek, Nora} } @proceedings {2010, title = {Machine Learning and Rule-Based Automated Coding of Qualitative Data}, year = {2010}, month = {10/2010}, address = {Pittsburgh, PA}, abstract = {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. }, keywords = {FLOSS, NLP}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/ml_nlp.pdf , https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/ASIST\%20poster\%202p\%20final.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Xiaozhong Liu and Allen, Eileen E. and Heckman, Robert} } @article {2010, title = {The under-appreciated role of stigmergic coordination in software development}, year = {2010}, abstract = {

Coordination in software development teams has been a topic of perennial interest in empirical software engineering research. The vast majority of this literature has drawn on a conceptual separation between work and coordination mechanisms, separate from the work itself, which enable groups to achieve coordination. Traditional recommendations and software methods focused on planning: using analysis to predict and manage dependencies. Empirical research has demonstrated the limits of this approach, showing that many important dependencies are emergent and pointing to the persistent importance of explicit discussion to managing these dependencies as they arise. Drawing on work in Computer-Supported Collaborative Work and building from an analogy to collaboration amongst insects (stigmergy), we argue that the work product itself plays an under-appreciated role in helping software developers manage dependencies as they arise. This short paper presents the conceptual argument with empirical illustrations and explains why this mechanism would have significant implications for Software Engineering coordination research. We discuss issues in marshaling clear positive evidence, arguing that these issues are responsible, in part, for the under-consideration of this mechanism in software engineering and outlining research strategies which may overcome these issues.

}, keywords = {Coordination, FLOSS, Stigmergy}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/stigmergy-short.pdf}, author = {Bolici, Francesco and James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @conference {Bolici:2009, title = {Coordination without discussion? Socio-technical congruence and Stigmergy in Free and Open Source Software projects}, booktitle = {2nd International Workshop on Socio-Technical Congruence, ICSE}, year = {2009}, month = {19 May}, address = {Vancouver, Canada}, keywords = {Coordination, FLOSS}, url = {http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhncd3jd_405fzt842gv}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Coordination\%20without\%20discussion\%3F\%20Socio-technical\%20congruence.pdf}, author = {Bolici, Francesco and James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {Scialdone:2009, title = {Group Maintenance Behaviours of Core and Peripheral Members of Free/Libre Open Source Software Teams}, year = {2009}, address = {Skövde, Sweden, 3-6 June}, abstract = {Group Maintenance is pro-social, discretionary, and relation-building behavior that occurs between members of groups in order to maintain reciprocal trust and cooperation. This paper considers how Free/libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) teams demonstrate such behaviors within the context of e-mail, as this is the primary medium through which such teams communicate. We compare group maintenance behaviors between both core and peripheral members of these groups, as well as behaviors between a group that remains producing software today and one which has since dissolved. Our findings indicate that negative politeness tactics (those which show respect for the autonomy of others) may be the most instrumental group maintenance behaviors that contribute to a FLOSS group{\textquoteleft}s ability to survive and continue software production. }, keywords = {FLOSS, Group Maintenance}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/34finalmjs.pdf}, author = {Scialdone, Michael J. and Heckman, Robert and Kevin Crowston}, editor = {Boldyreff, Cornelia and Kevin Crowston and Lundell, Bj{\"o}rn and Wasserman, Tony} } @proceedings {Wiggins:2009, title = {Heartbeat: Measuring Active User Base and Potential User Interest in FLOSS Projects}, volume = {299}, year = {2009}, pages = {94-104}, publisher = {Springer Boston}, address = {Skövde, Sweden, 3-6 June}, abstract = {This paper presents a novel method and algorithm to measure the size of an open source project{\textquoteright}s user base and the level of potential user interest that it generates. Previously unavailable download data at a daily resolution confirms hypothesized patterns related to release cycles. In short, regular users rapidly download the software after a new release giving a way to measure the active user base. In contrast, potential new users download the application independently of the release cycle, and the daily download figures tend to plateau at this rate when a release has not been made for some time. An algorithm for estimating these measures from download time series is demonstrated and the measures are examined over time in two open source projects.}, isbn = {978-3-642-02031-5}, issn = {978-3-642-02031-5}, doi = {10.1007/978-3-642-02032-2\%5f10}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/heartbeat.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea and James Howison and Kevin Crowston}, editor = {Boldyreff, Cornelia and Kevin Crowston and Lundell, Bj{\"o}rn and Wasserman, Tony} } @article {Li:2008a, title = {Asynchronous Decision-Making in Distributed Teams (Poster)}, year = {2008}, month = {8{\textendash}12 November}, address = {San Diego, CA}, keywords = {Decision-Making, FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CSCW2008Poster11x17Draft.pdf}, author = {Li, Qing and Heckman, Robert and Allen, Eileen E. and Kevin Crowston and Eseryel, U. Yeliz and James Howison and Wiggins, Andrea} } @proceedings {Li:2008, title = {Decision Making Paths in Self-Organizing Technology-Mediated Distributed Teams}, year = {2008}, address = {Paris, France, 14-17 December}, abstract = {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.}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Decision\%20Making\%20Paths\%20in\%20Self\%20Organizing\%20Technology\%20Mediated\%20Dist.pdf}, author = {Li, Qing and Heckman, Robert and Kevin Crowston and James Howison and Allen, Eileen E. and Eseryel, U. Yeliz} } @proceedings {, title = {Depicting What Really Matters: Using Episodes to Study Latent Phenomenon}, year = {2008}, abstract = {Research on processes and practices around information systems is often best conducted in naturalistic setting. To conduct valid and reliable research in such settings, researchers must find ways to reliably bound the phenomenon in which they are interested. In this paper we propose that researchers use episodes{\textemdash}events or processes occurring over a specified period of time{\textemdash}to isolate that which interests them from the vast set of related human behavior. The paper discusses the nature of episodes in the literature and suggests particular research settings in which episodes can be useful. The paper describes a three stage methodology to identify episodes for systematic data collection and analysis. The paper presents an example study using episodes to study group learning process in distributed groups.}, keywords = {Learning, Process}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Depicting\%20What\%20Really\%20Matters\%20Using\%20Episodes\%20to\%20Study\%20Latent\%20Phe.pdf}, author = {Annabi, Hala and Kevin Crowston and Heckman, Robert} } @proceedings {Howison:2008, title = {e{R}esearch workflows for studying free and open source software development}, year = {2008}, note = {Slides from the presentation at the Oxford eResearch Conference of lessons learned in replicating research in eResearch workflows.}, address = {Milan, Italy, 7-10 September}, abstract = {This paper proposes a demonstration of eResearch workflow tools as a model for the research community studying free and open source software and its development. For purposes of background and justification, the paper first introduces eResearch as increasingly practiced in fields such as astrophysics and biology, then contrasts the practice of research on free and open source software. After outlining the suitable public data sources the paper introduces a class of tools known as scientific workflow frameworks, specifically focusing on one---Taverna---and introducing its features. To further explain the tool a complete workflow used for original research on FLOSS is described and the agenda for the live demonstration is outlined. }, keywords = {eResearch, FLOSS, Workflow}, doi = {10.1007/978-0-387-09684-1_39}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/eResearchWorkflows.pdf}, author = {James Howison and Wiggins, Andrea and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {, title = {eSocialScience for Free/Libre Open Source Software researchers}, year = {2008}, address = {Manchester, UK, 18-20 June}, abstract = {This abstract presents a case study of the potential application of eScience tools and practices for the social science research community studying Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) development practices. We first describe the practice of research on FLOSS to motivate the need for eScience. After outlining suitable public data sources, we describe our initial efforts to introduce eScience tools for FLOSS research, potential obstacles and how the use of such tools might affect the practice of research in this field.}, keywords = {eScience, FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/NCeSS2008CrowstonHowisonWiggins.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and James Howison and Wiggins, Andrea} } @proceedings {Scialdone:2008, title = {Group Maintenance in Technology-Supported Distributed Teams}, year = {2008}, address = {Anaheim, CA, 9-13 August}, abstract = {Are geographically-distributed teams which exhibit high levels of group maintenance between members successful? We answer this through content analysis of emails from two Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) teams. Our results illustrate that the groups utilize low levels of organizational citizenship behaviors and high levels of positive politeness actions.}, keywords = {FLOSS, Group Maintenance}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/GroupMaintenance.pdf}, author = {Scialdone, Michael J. and Li, Na and James Howison and Heckman, Robert and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {Crowston:2008a, title = {Opportunities for eScience research on Free/Libre Open Source Software}, year = {2008}, address = {Oxford, England, 11-13 September}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Opportunities\%20for\%20eScience\%20research\%20on\%20Free.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and James Howison and Wiggins, Andrea} } @proceedings {Wiggins:2008, title = {Replication of FLOSS Research as eResearch}, year = {2008}, address = {Oxford, England, 11-13 September}, abstract = {We are working to introduce the ideas of eResearch to a multi-disciplinary research domain: those researchers examining Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) and its development (Howison, Wiggins, \& Crowston, 2008). The first phase of this work focused on building a repository for data on FLOSS teams, FLOSSmole (Howison, Conklin, \& Crowston, 2006), and collaborating with other nascent data repositories in the field. Recently we have begun a second phase, which is to introduce another established principle of eResearch, that of broader collaboration through shared workflows accessing these data repositories. To provide an example of the potential value of this principle, we are replicating seminal FLOSS papers using eResearch approaches. This paper describes research outcomes and lessons learned from translating published literature into eResearch workflows.}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/ReplicationOfFLOSSResearch.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea and James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {Wiggins:2008a, title = {Social dynamics of FLOSS team communication across channels}, year = {2008}, pages = {131-142}, publisher = {Springer Boston}, address = {Milan, Italy, 7-10 September}, abstract = {This paper extends prior investigation into the social dynamics of free and open source (FLOSS) teams by examining the methodological questions arising from research using social network analysis on open source projects. We evaluate the validity of data sampling by examining dynamics of communication centralization, which vary across multiple communication channels. We also introduce a method for intensity-based smoothing in dynamic social network analysis.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, isbn = {978-0-387-09683-4}, issn = {1571-5736 (Print) 1861-2288 (Online)}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/DSNAWigginsIFIP.pdf}, author = {Wiggins, Andrea and James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @article {Howison:2008a, title = {Towards a data and workflow collaboratory for research on Free and Open Source Software and its development (Poster)}, year = {2008}, address = {Los Angeles, CA}, keywords = {eScience, FLOSS, Workflow}, author = {James Howison and Squire, Megan and Kevin Crowston} } @article {Howison:2007, title = {Building a collaboratory for research on open source software development (Poster)}, year = {2007}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, keywords = {eScience, FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Howison_eSocSciPoster-small.pdf}, author = {James Howison and Squire, Megan and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {Heckman:2007, title = {Emergent decision-making practices in Free/Libre Open Source Software FLOSS development teams}, year = {2007}, address = {Limerick, Ireland, 10-14 June}, abstract = {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. }, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/20070320\%20OSS\%20Conference_v15_final\%20submitted.pdf}, author = {Heckman, Robert and Kevin Crowston and Eseryel, U. Yeliz and James Howison and Allen, Eileen E. and Li, Qing} } @article {2007, title = {Emergent leadership in self-organizing virtual teams (Poster)}, year = {2007}, address = {Montr{\'e}al, Qu{\'e}bec, Canada, 9{\textendash}12 Dec}, keywords = {FLOSS, Leadership}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/20081204\%20ICIS\%20Poster_v.5.1.pdf}, author = {Heckman, Robert and Kevin Crowston and Misiolek, Nora and Eseryel, U. Yeliz} } @article {2007, title = {Investigating the Dynamics of FLOSS Development Teams (Poster)}, year = {2007}, note = {SD 2007 poster - Full Adobe PDF 2007 HSD PI{\textquoteright}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. }, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/HSDposter_8.ai_.pdf , https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/HSDposter_8.pdf}, author = {Li, Na and Li, Qing and Kangning Wei and Heckman, Robert and Eseryel, U. Yeliz and Liddy, Elizabeth D. and James Howison and Kevin Crowston and Allen, Eileen E. and Scialdone, Michael J. and Inoue, Keisuke and Harwell, Sarah and Rowe, Steven and McCracken, Nancy and Wiggins, Andrea} } @article {2007, title = {A proposed data and analysis archive for research on Free and Open Source Software and its development (Poster)}, year = {2007}, keywords = {FLOSS}, author = {James Howison and Squire, Megan and Kevin Crowston} } @article {2007, title = {A proposed data and analysis archive for research on Free and Open Source Software and its development (Poster)}, year = {2007}, address = {Ann Arbor, MI}, keywords = {FLOSS}, author = {James Howison and Squire, Megan and Kevin Crowston} } @article {Crowston:2007, title = {The role of face-to-face meetings in technology-supported self-organizing distributed teams}, journal = {IEEE Transactions on Professional Communications}, volume = {50}, number = {3}, year = {2007}, pages = {185{\textendash}203}, abstract = {We examine the role of face-to-face meetings in the context of technology-supported self-organizing distributed or virtual teams, specifically Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) development teams. Based on a qualitative inductive analysis of data from interviews and observations at FLOSS conferences, we identify a variety of settings in which developers meet face-to-face, activities performed in these settings and benefits obtained. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, FLOSS developers generally do not meet face-to-face until the project is well under way. An additional benefit of face-to-face meetings is time away from a regular job and speed of interaction for certain kinds of tasks.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, doi = {10.1109/TPC.2007.902654}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/070122.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and James Howison and Masango, Chengetai and Eseryel, U. Yeliz} } @article {Crowston:2007b, title = {Self-organization of teams in free/libre open source software development}, journal = {Information and Software Technology Journal: Special issue on Understanding the Social Side of Software Engineering, Qualitative Software Engineering Research}, volume = {49}, year = {2007}, pages = {564{\textendash}575}, abstract = {This paper provides empirical evidence about how free/libre open source software development teams self-organize their work, specifically, how tasks are assigned to project team members. Following a case study methodology, we examined developer interaction data from three active and successful FLOSS projects using qualitative research methods, specifically inductive content analysis, to identify the task-assignment mechanisms used by the participants. We found that {\textquoteleft}self-assignment{\textquoteright} was the most common mechanism across three FLOSS projects. This mechanism is consistent with expectations for distributed and largely volunteer teams. We conclude by discussing whether these emergent practices can be usefully transferred to mainstream practice and indicating directions for future research.}, doi = {10.1016/j.infsof.2007.02.004}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/060918.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Kangning Wei and Li, Qing and Eseryel, U. Yeliz and James Howison} } @proceedings {Heckman:2007a, title = {A structurational perspective on leadership in virtual teams}, year = {2007}, pages = {151{\textendash}168}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Portland, OR}, abstract = {Building on behavioural leadership theory and structuration theory, we present a two-order theory of leadership. It describes four classes of first-order leadership behaviours (task coordination, substantive task contribution, group maintenance and boundary spanning) and defines second-order leadership as behaviour that influences changes in the structure that guides group action. We argue that second-order leadership is enabled by first-order leadership and is therefore action embedded and grounded in processes that define the social identity of the group. We propose that effective virtual teams will exhibit a paradoxical combination of shared, distributed first-order leadership complemented by strong, concentrated, and centralized second-order leadership. We conclude by suggesting future research that might be conducted to test and further elaborate our theory.}, keywords = {FLOSS, Leadership}, doi = {10.1007/978-0-387-73025-7_12}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/AStructurationalPerspectiveOnLeadership.pdf}, author = {Heckman, Robert and Kevin Crowston and Misiolek, Nora}, editor = {Kevin Crowston and Seiber, Sandra} } @article {Crowston:2006d, title = {Assessing the health of open source communities}, journal = {IEEE Computer}, volume = {39}, number = {5}, year = {2006}, month = {May}, pages = {89-91}, abstract = {An invited column that discusses what a healthy FLOSS community looks like, and how one ought to go about assessing it (particularly in the context of software specification).}, doi = {10.1109/MC.2006.152}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/HealthOfAFlossCommunity.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and James Howison} } @inbook {Crowston:2006c, title = {Coordination theory: A ten-year retrospective}, booktitle = {Human-Computer Interaction in Management Information Systems}, year = {2006}, pages = {120-138}, publisher = {M. E. Sharpe, Inc.}, organization = {M. E. Sharpe, Inc.}, abstract = {Since the initial publication in 1994, Coordination Theory has been referenced in nearly 300 journal articles, book chapters, conference papers and theses. Coordination Theory provides an approach to a core problem in HCI: analyzing group work to suggest alternative approaches involving computer support. Coordination Theory suggests identifying the dependencies between the tasks the different group members are carrying out and the coordination mechanisms the group use to coordinate their work and then considering alternative mechanisms. This chapter will analyze the contribution of this body of research to determine how Coordination Theory has been used for user task analysis and modelling for HCI. Issues that will be addressed include: 1)how the theory has been applied; 2) factors that led to the success of the theory; and 3)identification of areas needing further research. }, keywords = {Coordination}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CT\%20Review\%20to\%20distribute.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Rubleske, Joe and James Howison}, editor = {Zhang, P. and Galletta, D.} } @proceedings {Crowston:2006b, title = {Core and periphery in Free/Libre and Open Source software team communications}, year = {2006}, address = {Kaua{\textquoteright}i, Hawai{\textquoteright}i, January}, abstract = {The concept of the core group of developers is important and often discussed in empirical studies of FLOSS projects. This paper examines the question, {\textquotedblleft}how does one empirically distinguish the core?{\textquotedblright} Being able to identify the core members of a FLOSS development project is important because many of the processes necessary for successful projects likely involve core members differently than peripheral members, so analyses that mix the two groups will likely yield invalid results. We compare 3 analysis approaches to identify the core: the named list of developers, a Bradford{\textquoteright}s law analysis that takes as the core the most frequent contributors and a social network analysis of the interaction pattern that identifies the core in a core-and-periphery structure. We apply these measures to the interactions around bug fixing for 116 SourceForge projects. The 3 techniques identify different individuals as core members; examination of which individuals are identified leads to suggestions for refining the measures. All 3 measures though suggest that the core of FLOSS projects is a small fraction of the total number of contributors.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CoreAndPeripheryInFreeLibre.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Kangning Wei and Li, Qing and James Howison} } @article {Massad:2006, title = {Customer satisfaction with electronic service encounters}, journal = {International Journal of Electronic Commerce}, volume = {10}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, pages = {73{\textendash}104}, abstract = {Customer relationship management is an integral component of business strategy for on-line service providers. This paper investigates the aspects of on-line transactions in electronic retailing that are most likely to satisfy or dissatisfy customers, thereby increasing or decreasing the likelihood of building and maintaining relationships with them. For this study, 513 respondents reported behaviors, perceptions, beliefs, events, features, characteristics, attributes, and situations that expressed their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with electronic service encounters. Content analysis of these encounters yielded three meta-categories, six categories, and 33 subcategories of customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction with on-line service providers. The findings suggested that three major categories are robust even in the electronic context of the Internet. The antecedents identified were relevant both to product-related services (e.g., books, apparel) and to pure services (e.g., on-line banking, on-line stock trading). The study found that the characteristics and behaviors of customer-contact employees play an important role in on-line service encounters. It also revealed a percentage decrease in satisfactory incidents, a percentage increase in unsatisfactory incidents, and a percentage increase in unsatisfactory incidents involving employee characteristics and behaviors as service encounters move from a bricks-and-mortar environment to an electronic context. This suggests that customer-contact employees may not be well equipped to deal with on-line customers.}, doi = {10.2753/JEC1086-4415100403}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/ijec2006.pdf}, author = {Massad, Nelson and Heckman, Robert and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {Heckman:2006b, title = {Emergent decision-making practices in technology-supported self-organizing distributed teams}, year = {2006}, address = {Milwaukee, WI, 10{\textendash}13 Dec}, abstract = {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.}, keywords = {Decision-Making, FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Emergent\%20Decision\%20Making\%20Practices\%20In\%20Technology\%20Supported\%20Self\%20O.pdf}, author = {Heckman, Robert and Kevin Crowston and Li, Qing and Allen, Eileen E. and Eseryel, U. Yeliz and James Howison and Kangning Wei} } @article {Howison:2006, title = {FLOSSmole: A collaborative repository for FLOSS research data and analyses}, journal = {International Journal of Information Technology and Web Engineering}, volume = {1}, number = {3}, year = {2006}, pages = {17{\textendash}26}, abstract = {This paper introduces and expands on previous work on a collaborative project, called FLOSSmole (formerly OSSmole), designed to gather, share and store comparable data and analyses of free and open source software development for academic research. The project draws on the ongoing collection and analysis efforts of many research groups, reducing duplication, and promoting compatibility both across sources of FLOSS data and across research groups and analyses. The paper outlines current difficulties with the current typical quantitative FLOSS research process and uses these to develop requirements and presents the design of the system.}, keywords = {FLOSSmole}, issn = {1554-1045 }, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/FLOSSmole.pdf}, author = {James Howison and Conklin, Megan S. and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {Annabi:2006, title = {From Individual Contribution to Group learning: the Early Years of Apache Web Server}, year = {2006}, pages = {77{\textendash}90}, address = {Lake Como, Italy, 8{\textendash}9 June}, abstract = {Open Source Software (OSS) groups experience many benefits and challenges with respect to the core group{\textquoteright}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{\textquoteright}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.}, keywords = {FLOSS, Learning}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/FromIndividualContributionToGroup.pdf}, author = {Annabi, Hala and Kevin Crowston and Heckman, Robert} } @article {Crowston:2006a, title = {Hierarchy and centralization in Free and Open Source Software team communications}, journal = {Knowledge, Technology \& Policy}, volume = {18}, number = {4}, year = {2006}, pages = {65{\textendash}85}, abstract = {Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) development teams provide an interesting and convenient setting for studying distributed work. We begin by answering perhaps the most basic question: what is the social structure of these teams? Based on a social network analysis of interactions represented in 62,110 bug reports from 122 large and active projects, we find that some OSS teams are highly centralized, but contrary to expectation, others are not. Projects are mostly quite hierarchical on four measures of hierarchy, consistent with past research but contrary to the popular image of these projects. Furthermore, we find that the level of centralization is negatively correlated with project size, suggesting that larger projects become more modular. The paper makes a further methodological contribution by identifying appropriate analysis approaches for interaction data. We conclude by sketching directions for future research.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/HierarchyAndCentralization.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and James Howison} } @article {Crowston:2006, title = {Information systems success in Free and Open Source Software development: Theory and measures}, journal = {Software Process{\textendash}Improvement and Practice}, volume = {11}, number = {2}, year = {2006}, pages = {123{\textendash}148}, abstract = {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{\textquoteright}s effectiveness in team building, the speed of the project at responding to bug reports and the project{\textquoteright}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.}, keywords = {FLOSS, Success}, doi = {10.1002/spip.259}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/InformationSystemsSuccessInFree.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and James Howison and Annabi, Hala} } @article {2006, title = {Investigating the Dynamics of FLOSS Development Teams (Poster)}, year = {2006}, note = {Poster describing the current state of the project for the HSD Principal Investigators{\textquoteright} conference, 14-15 September 2006, Washington DC.}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/hsd2006poster.pdf}, author = {Li, Qing and Kangning Wei and Heckman, Robert and Eseryel, U. Yeliz and Liddy, Elizabeth D. and James Howison and Kevin Crowston and Allen, Eileen E. and Inoue, Keisuke and Harwell, Sarah and Rowe, Steven and McCracken, Nancy} } @conference {Li:2006, title = {Language and power in self-organizing distributed teams}, booktitle = {OCIS Division, Academy of Management Conference}, year = {2006}, address = {Atlanta, GA}, abstract = {In this paper, a comparative case study is conducted to explore the way power is expressed and exercised through language use in distributed or virtual teams. Our research questions are {\textquotedblleft}how is power expressed in online interactions in self-organizing distributed teams, in a context without formal authority or hierarchy?{\textquotedblright} and {\textquotedblleft}What effects do expressions of power have on team outcomes?{\textquotedblright} To fully understand the role of power in self-organizing teams, we apply an input-process-output model on two open source projects-one successful and the other less successful. Two set of codes (source of power and power mechanism) are drawn from the data, and different power patterns interestingly show up between them. The findings lead us to speculate that strong, centralized leadership, the assertive exercise of power, and direct language may contribute to effectiveness in FLOSS teams. And the relevant conclusions and suggestions are provided for further research.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/LanguageAndPowerInSelf-organizing.pdf}, author = {Li, Qing and Kevin Crowston and Heckman, Robert and James Howison} } @proceedings {Howison:2006sd, title = {Social dynamics of free and open source team communications}, year = {2006}, pages = {319-330}, address = {Lake Como, Italy, 8-9 June}, abstract = {This paper furthers inquiry into the social structure of free and open source software (FLOSS) teams by undertaking social network analysis across time. Contrary to expectations, we confirmed earlier findings of a wide distribution of centralizations even when examining the networks over time. The paper also provides empirical evidence that while change at the center of FLOSS projects is relatively uncommon, participation across the project communities is highly skewed, with many participants appearing for only one period. Surprisingly, large project teams are not more likely to undergo change at their centers.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/SocialDynamics.pdf}, author = {James Howison and Inoue, Keisuke and Kevin Crowston} } @conference {Conklin:2005, title = {Collaboration Using OSSmole: A repository of FLOSS data and analyses}, booktitle = {Symposium on Mining Software Repositories}, year = {2005}, month = {05/2005}, address = {St. Louis}, abstract = {This paper introduces a collaborative project OSSmole designed to collect, share, and store comparable data and analyses of free, libre and open source software (FLOSS) development for research purposes. The project is designed to be a clearinghouse for data from the ongoing collection and analysis efforts of many disparate research groups. A collaborative data repository will reduce duplication and promote compatibility both across sources of FLOSS data and across research groups and analyses. The primary objective of OSSmole is to mine FLOSS source code repositories and provide the resulting data and summary analyses as open source products. However, the OSSmole data model additionally supports donated raw and summary data from a variety of open source researchers and other software repositories. The paper first outlines current difficulties with the typical quantitative FLOSS research process and uses these to develop requirements for such a collaborative data repository. Finally, the design of the OSSmole system is presented, as well as examples of current research and analyses using OSSmole.}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CollaborationUsingOSSmole.pdf}, author = {Conklin, Megan S. and James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @proceedings {Crowston:2005, title = {Coordination of Free/Libre Open Source Software development}, year = {2005}, address = {Las Vegas, NV, USA, December}, abstract = {The apparent success of free/libre open source software (FLOSS) development projects such as Linux, Apache, and many others has raised the question, what lessons from FLOSS development can be transferred to mainstream software development? In this paper, we use coordination theory to analyze coordination mechanisms in FLOSS development and compare our analysis with existing literature on coordination in proprietary software development. We examined developer interaction data from three active and successful FLOSS projects and used content analysis to identify the coordination mechanisms used by the participants. We found that there were similarities between the FLOSS groups and the reported practices of the proprietary project in the coordination mechanisms used to manage task-task dependencies. However, we found clear differences in the coordination mechanisms used to manage task-actor dependencies. While published descriptions of proprietary software development involved an elaborate system to locate the developer who owned the relevant piece of code, we found that {\textquotedblleft}self-assignment{\textquotedblright} was the most common mechanism across three FLOSS projects. This coordination mechanism is consistent with expectations for distributed and largely volunteer teams. We conclude by discussing whether these emergent practices can be usefully transferred to mainstream practice and indicating directions for future research.}, keywords = {Coordination, FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Coordination\%20of\%20Free\%20Libre\%20Open\%20Source\%20Software\%20Development.pdf , https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/CoordinationFreeLibreOSSDevSlides.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Kangning Wei and Li, Qing and Eseryel, U. Yeliz and James Howison} } @proceedings {Crowston:2005e, title = {Effective work practices for FLOSS development: A model and propositions}, year = {2005}, note = {"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.}, address = {Big Island, Hawai{\textquoteright}i, January}, abstract = {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{\textquoteright}s [1] model of effectiveness of work teams, with coordination theory [2] and collective mind [3] to extend Hackman{\textquoteright}s model by elaborating team practices relevant to effectiveness in software development. We propose a set of propositions to guide further research.}, doi = {10.1109/HICSS.2005.222}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/22680197a.pdf , https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/041101\%20Wiser\%20Presentation.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Annabi, Hala and James Howison and Masango, Chengetai} } @conference {Crowston:2005b, title = {Face-to-face interactions in self-organizing distributed teams}, booktitle = {Academy of Management Conference}, year = {2005}, address = {Honolulu, HI}, abstract = {We explore the role of face-to-face meetings in the life of distributed teams using data from Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) development teams. Such distributed teams are part of many organizations{\textquoteright} new vision of management in the 21st century. Practitioner research has suggested the need for face-to-face meetings when a team is formed, but few studies have considered the role of face-to-face meetings during a team{\textquoteright}s life. Based on a qualitative inductive analysis of data from interviews and observations at FLOSS conferences, we identify a variety of settings in which FLOSS developers meet face-to-face, activities performed in these settings and benefits obtained. Contrary to prior research, we find that FLOSS developers generally do not meet until the project is well under way. We also find that an additional benefit of face-to-face meetings is time away from a regular job. We conclude by noting limitations in our data collection due to a focus on core developers in large projects and with directions for further research.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/FaceToFace\%20Interactions.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and James Howison and Masango, Chengetai and Eseryel, U. Yeliz} } @article {Crowston:2005c, title = {The social structure of Free and Open Source Software development}, journal = {First Monday}, volume = {10}, number = {2}, year = {2005}, note = {First Monday, Special Issue $\#$2: Open Source {\textemdash} 3 October 2005 The social structure of free and open source software development (originally published in Volume 10, Number 2, February 2005)}, abstract = {Metaphors, such as the Cathedral and Bazaar, used to describe the organization of FLOSS projects typically place them in sharp contrast to proprietary development by emphasizing FLOSS{\textquoteright}s distinctive social and communications structures. But what do we really know about the communication patterns of FLOSS projects? How generalizable are the projects that have been studied? Is there consistency across FLOSS projects? Questioning the assumption of distinctiveness is important because practitioner{\textendash}advocates from within the FLOSS community rely on features of social structure to describe and account for some of the advantages of FLOSS production. To address this question, we examined 120 project teams from SourceForge, representing a wide range of FLOSS project types, for their communications centralization as revealed in the interactions in the bug tracking system. We found that FLOSS development teams vary widely in their communications centralization, from projects completely centered on one developer to projects that are highly decentralized and exhibit a distributed pattern of conversation between developers and active users. We suggest, therefore, that it is wrong to assume that FLOSS projects are distinguished by a particular social structure merely because they are FLOSS. Our findings suggest that FLOSS projects might have to work hard to achieve the expected development advantages which have been assumed to flow from "going open." In addition, the variation in communications structure across projects means that communications centralization is useful for comparisons between FLOSS teams. We found that larger FLOSS teams tend to have more decentralized communication patterns, a finding that suggests interesting avenues for further research examining, for example, the relationship between communications structure and code modularity.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, url = {http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1207/1127}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Social\%20structure\%20of\%20Free\%20and\%20Open\%20Source\%20Software\%20development.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and James Howison} } @proceedings {Crowston:2005a, title = {A structurational perspective on leadership in Free/Libre Open Source Software teams}, year = {2005}, address = {Genova, Italy}, abstract = {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.}, keywords = {FLOSS, Leadership}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/crowston-final.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Heckman, Robert and Annabi, Hala and Masango, Chengetai} } @conference {2004, title = {Effective work practices for software engineering}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 2004 ACM workshop on Interdisciplinary software engineering research (WISER {\textquoteright}04)}, year = {2004}, pages = {18}, publisher = {ACM Press}, organization = {ACM Press}, address = {Newport Beach, CA, USA}, abstract = {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{\textquoteright}s [34] model of effectiveness of work teams, with coordination theory [52] and collective mind [79] to extend Hackman{\textquoteright}s model by elaborating team practices relevant to effectiveness in software development. We propose a set of propositions to guide further research.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, isbn = {1581139888}, doi = {10.1145/1029997.1030003}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/p18-crowston.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Annabi, Hala and James Howison and Masango, Chengetai} } @conference {Howison:2004, title = {The perils and pitfalls of mining SourceForge}, booktitle = {Workshop on Mining Software Repositories, 26th International Conference on Software Engineering}, year = {2004}, address = {Edinburgh, Scotland}, abstract = {SourceForge provides abundant accessible data from Open Source Software development projects, making it an attractive data source for software engineering research. However it is not without theoretical peril and practical pitfalls. In this paper, we outline practical lessons gained from our spidering, parsing and analysis of SourceForge data. SourceForge can be practically difficult: projects are defunct, data from earlier systems has been dumped in and crucial data is hosted outside SourceForge, dirtying the retrieved data. These practical issues play directly into analysis: decisions made in screening projects can reduce the range of variables, skewing data and biasing correlations. SourceForge is theoretically perilous: because it provides easily accessible data items for each project, tempting researchers to fit their theories to these limited data. Worse, few are plausible dependent variables. Studies are thus likely to test the same hypotheses even if they start from different theoretical bases. To avoid these problems, analyses of SourceForge projects should go beyond project level variables and carefully consider which variables are used for screening projects and which for testing hypotheses.}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/The\%20perils\%20and\%20pitfalls\%20of\%20mining\%20SourceForge.pdf}, author = {James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @article {2004, title = {A structurational model of leadership in virtual distributed groups}, year = {2004}, note = {"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).}, keywords = {FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/crowston_oasis_2004v3.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Annabi, Hala and Heckman, Robert} } @conference {Crowston:2004c, title = {Towards a portfolio of FLOSS project success measures}, booktitle = {Workshop on Open Source Software Engineering, 26th International Conference on Software Engineering}, year = {2004}, address = {Edinburgh}, abstract = {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.}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Towards_a_Portfolio_\%20of\%20_FLOSS_Project.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Annabi, Hala and James Howison and Masango, Chengetai} } @proceedings {Crowston:2003c, title = {Defining Open Source Software project success}, year = {2003}, address = {Seattle, WA, December}, abstract = {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.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/icis2003success.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Annabi, Hala and James Howison} } @book {Malone:2003a, title = {Organizing Business Knowledge: The MIT Process Handbook}, year = {2003}, pages = {x, 619 p. }, publisher = {MIT Press}, organization = {MIT Press}, address = {Cambridge, MA}, keywords = {Process}, isbn = {978-0-262-13429-3 }, author = {Malone, Thomas W. and Kevin Crowston and Herman, George} } @conference {Crowston:2003e, title = {The social structure of Open Source Software development teams}, booktitle = {The IFIP 8.2 Working Group on Information Systems in Organizations Organizations and Society in Information Systems (OASIS) Workshop}, year = {2003}, address = {Seattle, WA}, abstract = {Open Source Software development teams provide an interesting and convenient setting for studying distributed work. We begin by answering perhaps the most basic question: what is the social structure of these teams? Based on a social network analysis of interactions represented in 62,110 bug reports from 122 large and active projects, we find that some OSS teams are highly centralized, but contrary to expectation, others are not. Furthermore, we find that the level of centralization is negatively correlated with project size, suggesting that larger projects become more modular. The paper makes a further methodological contribution by identifying appropriate analysis approaches for interaction data. We conclude by sketching directions for future research.}, keywords = {FLOSS}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/icis2003sna.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and James Howison} } @inbook {Crowston:1994b, title = {A Taxonomy of Organizational Dependencies and Coordination Mechanisms}, booktitle = {Organizing Business Knowledge: The MIT Process Handbook}, year = {2003}, pages = {85-108}, publisher = {MIT Press}, organization = {MIT Press}, type = {Working paper}, abstract = {Interdependency and coordination have been perennial topics in organization studies. The two are related because coordination is seen as a response to problems caused by dependencies. Past studies, however, describe dependencies and coordination mechanisms only in general terms, without characterizing in detail differences between dependencies, the problems dependencies create or how the proposed coordination mechanisms address those problems. This vagueness makes it difficult or impossible to determine what alternative coordination mechanisms might be useful in a given circumstance or to directly translate these alternative designs into specifications of individual activities. In this paper I develop a taxonomy of dependency types by considering possible combinations of activities using resources. The taxonomy includes task-resource dependencies and three types of task-task dependencies: shared resources, producer-consumer and common output. For each type of dependency, alternative coordination mechanisms are described. I conclude by discussing how the taxonomy helps to analyze organizational processes and suggest alternative processes. Although you will perform with different ingredients for different dishes, the same general processes are repeated over and over again. As you enlarge your repertoire, you will find that the seemingly endless babble of recipes begins to fall rather neatly into groups of theme and variations... --Child, Bertholle and Beck (1981, p. vii) }, keywords = {Coordination}, isbn = {0585480249}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/ATaxonomyOfOrganizationalDependencies.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston}, editor = {Malone, Thomas W. and Kevin Crowston and Herman, George} } @article {Malone:1999, title = {Tools for inventing organizations: Toward a handbook of organizational processes}, journal = {Management Science}, volume = {45}, number = {3}, year = {1999}, note = {Reprinted in Malone, T. W., Crowston, K. \& Herman, G. (Eds.) Organizing Business Knowledge: The MIT Process Handbook. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003. Reprinted in Malone, T. W., Laubacher, R. \& Scott Morton, M. S. (Eds.). Inventing the Organizations of the 21st Century. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003.}, pages = {425{\textendash}443}, abstract = {This paper describes a novel theoretical and empirical approach to tasks such as business process redesign and knowledge management. The project involves collecting examples of how different organizations perform similar processes, and organizing these examples in an on-line "process handbook." The handbook is intended to help people: (1) redesign existing organizational processes, (2) invent new organizational processes (especially ones that take advantage of information technology), and (3) share ideas about organizational practices. A key element of the work is an approach to analyzing processes at various levels of abstraction, thus capturing both the details of specific processes as well as the "deep structure" of their similarities. This approach uses ideas from computer science about inheritance and from coordination theory about managing dependencies. A primary advantage of the approach is that it allows people to explicitly represent the similarities (and differences) among related processes and to easily find or generate sensible alternatives for how a given process could be performed. In addition to describing this new approach, the work reported here demonstrates the basic technical feasibility of these ideas and gives one example of their use in a field study.}, keywords = {Coordination, Handbook, Process}, doi = {10.1287/mnsc.45.3.425}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/ms99.pdf}, author = {Malone, Thomas W. and Kevin Crowston and Lee, Jintae and Pentland, Brian and Dellarocas, Chrysanthos and Wyner, George and Quimby, John and Osborn, Charley and Bernstein, Avi and Herman, George and Klein, Mark and O{\textquoteright}Donnell, Elissa} } @conference {1994, title = {Using a Process Handbook to design organizational processes}, booktitle = {Computational Organization Design: 1994 AAAI Spring Symposium }, year = {1994}, note = {Technical Report SS-94-07}, pages = {55-56}, publisher = {AAAI Press}, organization = {AAAI Press}, keywords = {Handbook, Process}, isbn = {9780929280806}, author = {Dellarocas, C and Lee, Jintae and Malone, Thomas W. and Kevin Crowston and Pentland, Brian}, editor = {Hulthage, Ingemar} } @inbook {Crowston:1988, title = {Information technology and work organization}, booktitle = {Handbook of Human-Computer Interaction}, year = {1988}, note = {Reprinted in Thomas J. Allen and Michael S. Scott Morton. (Eds), Information Technology and the Corporation of the 1990s (pp. 249{\textendash}275). New York: Oxford, 1994.}, pages = {1051{\textendash}1070}, publisher = {Elsevier}, organization = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, keywords = {Information Technology, Organization}, isbn = {9780444705365}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu./sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/informationtechn00crow.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Malone, Thomas W.}, editor = {Helander, M.} }