TY - JOUR T1 - Q&A. How is social network analysis used in studies of open source? JF - Open Source Business Resource Y1 - 2010 A1 - Chulaka Ailapperuma A1 - Senthilkumar Mukunda A1 - Shruti Satsangi AB - Social network analysis (SNA) can be used to study online communities, including free/libre open source software (F/LOSS) developer teams. SNA techniques provide insight into these communities and enable researchers to make predictions based on these insights. They can be used to model the nature and patterns of interactions that can be used as a predictor of group behaviour, trust, knowledge generation, and information diffusion (Crowston et al., 2010). SNA can also be used make predictions about other kinds of networks other than pure social networks, such as networks based on relationships between code artifacts. In this article, we answer the question of how SNA has been used to study open source. We begin by describing social networks and how they can be deconstructed to examine the relationships between entities within them. Next, we discuss social networks within F/LOSS communities and describe how SNA gives insights into the various actors and groups acting within networks. Finally, we provide an overview of common SNA measures used to study open source, including examples of how they have been used to provide insights about F/LOSS communities. PB - Talent First Network CY - Ottawa UR - http://timreview.ca/article/420 IS - July 2010 U1 - Carleton University Chulaka Ailapperuma is Senior Software Developer at Canada Border Services Agency and is a graduate student in the Technology Innovation Management program at Carleton University. Chulaka also holds a Computer Science degree from Carleton University. He has 14 years experience in the computer science industry, working as a consultant for various clients, mostly in government and the telecommunications industry. U2 - Carleton University Senthilkumar Mukunda is a graduate student in the Technology Innovation Management program at Carleton University. He has over 4 years experience in Telecommunication and Railway Signaling Domain as embedded software developer. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical and Electronics from Anna University. U3 - Carleton University Shruti Satsangi is a Wireless Engineer for Ericsson. She is also a graduate student in the Technology Innovation Management program at Carleton University, where she is researching coalition and competition within business ecosystems. She is a member of CU-Women in Science and Engineering, IEEE WiE, and the IEEE Communications Society. ER -