@mastersthesis {1415,
	title = {FLOSSSim: Understanding the Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) Development Process through Agent-Based Modeling},
	year = {2011},
	pages = {323},
	type = {PhD Dissertation},
	address = {Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA},
	abstract = {Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) is the product of volunteers collaborating to build software in an open, public manner. The large number of FLOSS projects, combined with the data that is inherently archived with this online process, make studying this phenomenon attractive. Some FLOSS projects are very functional, well-known, and successful, such as Linux, the Apache Web Server, and Firefox. However, for every successful FLOSS project there are 100{\textquoteright}s of projects that are unsuccessful. These projects fail to attract sufficient interest from developers and users and become inactive or abandoned before useful functionality is achieved. The goal of this research is to better understand the open source development process and gain insight into why some FLOSS projects succeed while others fail.

This dissertation presents an agent-based model of the FLOSS development process. The model is built around the concept that projects must manage to attract contributions from a limited pool of participants in order to progress. In the model developer and user agents select from a landscape of competing FLOSS projects based on perceived utility. Via the selections that are made and subsequent contributions, some projects are propelled to success while others remain stagnant and inactive.

Findings from a diverse set of empirical studies of FLOSS projects are used to formulate the model, which is then calibrated on empirical data from multiple sources of public FLOSS data. The model is able to reproduce key characteristics observed in the FLOSS domain and is capable of making accurate predictions. The model is used to gain a better understanding of the FLOSS development process, including what it means for FLOSS projects to be successful and what conditions increase the probability of project success. It is shown that FLOSS is a producer-driven process, and project factors that are important for developers selecting projects are identified. In addition, it is shown that projects are sensitive to when core developers make contributions, and the exhibited bandwagon effects mean that some projects will be successful regardless of competing projects. Recommendations for improving software engineering in general based on the positive characteristics of FLOSS are also presented.},
	attachments = {https://flosshub.org/sites/flosshub.org/files/FLOSSSim_final.pdf},
	author = {Radtke, Nicholas P.}
}
@article {1414,
	title = {Competition and production of digital public goods},
	journal = {International Journal of Intelligent Control and Systems},
	volume = {14},
	number = {1},
	year = {2009},
	pages = {77-86},
	chapter = {77},
	abstract = {With the Internet has come the phenomenon of people volunteering to work on digital public goods such as open source software and online encyclopedia articles. Presumably, the success of individual public goods has an effect on attracting volunteers. However, the definition of success is ill-defined. This paper explores the impact of different success metrics on a simple public goods model. The findings show that the different success metrics considered do have an impact on the behavior of the model, with the largest differences being between consumer-oriented and producer-oriented metrics. This indicates that many proposed success metrics may be mapped into one of these two categories and within a category, all success metrics measure the same phenomenon. We argue that the characteristics of producer-oriented metrics more closely match real world phenomena, indicating that public goods are driven by producer, and not consumer, interests.},
	keywords = {digital public goods, FLOSS, open source software, sourceforge, success metrics, wikipedia},
	url = {http://www.public.asu.edu/~majansse/pubs/ijics2009.pdf},
	attachments = {https://flosshub.org/sites/flosshub.org/files/ijics2009.pdf},
	author = {Radtke, Nicholas P. and Janssen, Marco A.}
}
@article {1338,
	title = {What Makes Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) Projects Successful? An Agent-Based Model of FLOSS Projects},
	journal = {International Journal of Open Source Software and Processes},
	volume = {1},
	year = {2009},
	pages = {1 - 13},
	abstract = {The last few years have seen a rapid increase in the number of Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) projects. Some of these projects, such as Linux and the Apache web server, have become phenomenally successful. However, for every successful FLOSS project there are dozens of FLOSS projects which never succeed. These projects fail to attract developers and/or consumers and, as a result, never get off the ground. The aim of this research is to better understand why some FLOSS projects flourish while others wither and die. This article presents a simple agent-based model that is calibrated on key patterns of data from SourceForge, the largest online site hosting open source projects. The calibrated model provides insight into the conditions necessary for FLOSS success and might be used for scenario analysis of future developments of FLOSS.},
	keywords = {Agent-Based Model, Emergent Properties, FLOSS, open source, Prediction Success, Simulation},
	issn = {1942-3934},
	doi = {10.4018/jossp.2009040101},
	url = {http://www.public.asu.edu/~majansse/pubs/ijossp09.pdf},
	attachments = {https://flosshub.org/sites/flosshub.org/files/ijossp09.pdf},
	author = {Radtke, Nicholas P. and Janssen, Marco A. and Collofello, James S.}
}
