Defining, Understanding, and Supporting Open Collaboration: Lessons From the Literature. (May 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Forte, Andrea; Lampe, Cliff
• Other Names: Forte Andrea guest-editor.; Lampe Cliff guest-editor.; Wellman Barry guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: American behavioral scientist. Volume 57:Number 5(2013)
• Page Start: 535
• Page End: 547
• Publication Date: 2013-05
• Subjects: open collaboration -- wiki -- open source software -- Wikipedia -- peer production; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Political science -- Periodicals; United States -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; United States -- Politics and government -- Periodicals; 300
• DOI: 10.1177/0002764212469362
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-7642

Abstract

In this short introductory piece, we define open collaboration and contextualize the diverse articles in this special issue in a common vocabulary and history. We provide a definition of open collaboration and situate the phenomenon within an interrelated set of scholarly and ideological movements. We then examine the properties of open collaboration systems that have given rise to research and review major areas of scholarship. We close with a summary of consistent findings in open collaboration research to date.