How do free/open source developers pick their tools?

Abstract

Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) has come to play a critical role in the global software industry. Organizations are widely adopting FOSS and interacting with open source communities, and hence organizations have a considerable interest in seeing these communities flourishing. Little research has focused on the tools used to develop that software. Given the absence of formal mandate that would appear in traditional organizations, an open question is what influences a FOSS contributor's decision to adopt a tool and how workflows get established in FOSS teams. In this paper we report on a Delphi study conducted in the Debian Project, one of the largest FOSS projects. Drawing from data collected in three phases from a panel of 21 carefully selected and well-informed participants, we identified 15 factors that affect decisions to adopt tools and relate those to existing models of innovation and diffusion. CCS Concepts• Software and its engineering → Software maintenance tools; Collaboration in software development KeywordsFree/open source software, tools, Delphi study, qualitative study

A Meta-Model for Information Systems Quality

“…Generally speaking, empirical software engineering is developing new research designs according to its research questions, which may cross the threshold of traditional borders of the discipline due to the pervasiveness of software [34,33]. The Delphi method is becoming a popular tool in the software engineering discipline [73], even though it is still not well known. On the other hand, Likert-based surveys are a popular quantitative research method in information systems [30].…”

“…The Delphi method has proven to be a popular tool in Software Engineering [73] and, more generally, in Information Systems research [25,115,60,90,115]. It allows for capitalizing on the experiences of the expert panel in identifying key issues of software developers and identifying the most important factors by continuous feedback.…”

The ABC of Software Engineering Research

“…While the term "survey" might suggest that the qualitative survey falls within the sample study strategy, the ABC framework makes clear that its position may vary depending on the goal. A qualitative survey may be classified as a judgment study, in particular when a researcher wishes to explore diversity of opinions or responses based on a given stimulus (akin to a Policy Delphi study [105]). Alternatively, as Jansen points out, a qualitative survey could be part of a Grounded Theory study [82].…”

How do Developers Really Feel About Bug Fixing? Directions for Automatic Program Repair

“…This is particularly important in the context of new and emerging technologies, such as APR. Krafft et al note that 'for new technologies to be accepted, awareness of such technologies must grow and the benefits they offer must be clear, but this process can take a significant amount of time' [26]. For this process to be eased and quickened, it is important to understand developers' instinctive responses to APR, as it can help developers of APR tools consider how they present their tools to developers and increase acceptance of these tools.…”