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Information policies and open source software in developing countries

Author

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  • Gilberto Câmara
  • Frederico Fonseca

Abstract

Many authors propose that open source software (OSS) is a good strategy to bring information and communication technologies to developing countries. Nevertheless, the use of OSS needs to be more than just adopting Linux as the standard for operating systems. Adoption of OSS is not only a choice of software, but also a means of acquiring knowledge. Developing countries have to use OSS as a way to gain knowledge about the technology itself and as a way of creating technology products that fit their specific needs. In this article, the authors introduce a model of OSS based on its essential characteristics to understand how developing countries may use OSS to achieve their development goals. The authors argue that there are two defining properties of any open source software. The first property is the potential for shared conceptualization and the second is the potential for modularity. By assessing how each OSS project satisfies these two conditions, a taxonomy is built for open source projects. This taxonomy will help the development of more sensible policies to promote the use of open source in developing countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Gilberto Câmara & Frederico Fonseca, 2007. "Information policies and open source software in developing countries," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 58(1), pages 121-132, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jamist:v:58:y:2007:i:1:p:121-132
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.20444
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    Cited by:

    1. Bart Cammaerts, 2011. "Disruptive sharing in a digital age: rejecting neoliberalism?," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 32857, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    2. Engelhardt, Sebastian v. & Freytag, Andreas, 2013. "Institutions, culture, and open source," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 90-110.
    3. Muwanguzi, Samuel & Musambira, George, 2019. "The adoption of open source software in Uganda: Analyzing stakeholders and their underlying interests," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    4. Bhatt, Punita & Ahmad, Ali J. & Roomi, Muhammad Azam, 2016. "Social innovation with open source software: User engagement and development challenges in India," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 52, pages 28-39.
    5. Teiu, Codrin-Marius, 2011. "Management information systems in an open source software context," MPRA Paper 32187, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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