A practice-based analysis of information activities in open-source software development communities

Summary

This academic study examines how open-source software development communities collaborate through information-intensive activities. The researchers analyzed two large open-source communities—OpenStack and Automotive Grade Linux—using digital trace data from an information literacy (IL) practice perspective. They identified ten key information activities that constitute developers' information practice: branching, committing, fetching, pushing, merging, reviewing, continuously integrating, gating, release management, and announcing. The study highlights how these activities, which are largely impossible in non-digital environments, demonstrate the importance of studying knowledge management and production practices in increasingly digitalized work contexts.