The Role of Local Open Source Communities in the Development of Open Source Projects

Abstract: In this paper we are going investigate the role of local open source communities (LOSCs) in the development of open source projects (OSPs). We are going to look into the importance of the LOSCs, the motivation to join them and their impacts on OSP. Our interest in this topic originated from the fact that there is a lack of studies regarding this topic. To have a clear understanding of the problem, we have decided to adopt the case study strategy as our research methodology. In the research we have conducted seven interviews with members within different LOSCs. The results we obtained have proven the importance of LOSCs and the role it plays in the development of OSP.