01671nas a2200145   4500008004100000022001400041245007200055210006900127260004200196520117900238100002501417700002601442700002101468856003601489       2010                        eng d  a1913-610200aQ&A. How is social network analysis used in studies of open source?0 aQA How is social network analysis used in studies of open source  aOttawabTalent First Networkc02/20113 aSocial 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. 1 aAilapperuma, Chulaka1 aMukunda, Senthilkumar1 aSatsangi, Shruti  uhttp://timreview.ca/article/420