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14	14	= **Narrative Questions (from Concept Notes template)** =
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21		-~* Please note that the following responses are either first drafts or stubs. *
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27	27	== What is your research question? (100) ==
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30		-How do potential investors assess the readiness of open source software projects: What characteristics and behaviors are most beneficial~-~-and are they present~-~-to ensure the successful formation and operation, as well as long term sustainability of open source communities of practice.
	18	+Most organizations considering OSS are unfamiliar with authentic open models of production, or how to assess the relative health of OSS communities. Decision makers lack resources to responsibly determine the reliability and sustainability of infrastructure which they depend upon. With such resources, “business readiness,” could be assessed while project success could be furthered.
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32		-The purpose of this study is to systemize this information to help corporate leaders who are responsible for financial resource allocation rationalize appropriate investment in OSS project communities.
	20	+How do potential investors assess the readiness of open source software projects and the communities that support them: What characteristics and behaviours are most beneficial~-~-and are they present~-~-to ensure the successful formation and operation, as well as long term sustainability of open source communities of practice?
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34		-The deliverables of the study will include these identified characteristics, a schema for assessment, and the methodologies for conducting this research and derived results.
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36		-Further, this research will help OSS project community maintainers plan and prioritize investment of available resources to align with identified characteristics improve project maturity and reduce risk to product users.
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41		-==== //Please clearly state any hypotheses relating to this question.// ====
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46		-**Hypothesis a**: Organizations bound to the tradition of for-profit modes of production will respond with organizationally appropriate (based on ROI) levels of resource investment to ensure continued levels of profit realization.
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48		-**Hypothesis b**: Most companies using OSS digital infrastructure are unaware of the nature of social modes of production used by OSS communities.
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50		-**Hypothesis c**: Most companies using OSS digital infrastructure are not aware of the relative health of the OSS community that is responsible for maintenance and continued development of the digital infrastructure they are depending on.
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52		-**Hypothesis d**: Because of lack of appreciation of OSS modes of production and dependable sources of information of OSS project community health, corporate business decision makers are not in a position to make responsible and rational decision about levels of investment in the OSS communities ensuring the reliability of the distal infrastructure on which they depend.
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54		-**Hypothesis e**: Providing corporate business leaders who are responsible for financial allocation decisions with information in the form of an index indicating OSS “business readiness,” community maturity, capacity, and associated risk, will promote the rationalization of appropriate levels of resource investment, improve decision making for adoption and community participation, and investment based on enlightened self-interest.
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56		-**Hypothesis f**: Providing OSS project community leaders, maintainers, and governors who are responsible for financial allocation decisions with information in the form of an index indicating OSS “business readiness,” community maturity, capacity, and associated risk, will promote better planning, prioritization, and allocation of resources.
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63	63	== Why is this question important to answer? (200) ==
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68		-One of the most important enablers for successful self-managed distributed community is information to support decision-making. When users of OSS digital infrastructure are able to act rationality in their own enlightened self-interest, they will ensure that the OSS community on which they are dependent is resourced and has the capacity to manage risk. When OSS digital infrastructure maintainers have information that will help inform plans and prioritize resource investment, the community will mature, become more dependable, and “business ready.”
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	25	+Open source software is now recognized as a feasible alternative to proprietary software, and a viable model for production, resulting in a growing number of projects and supporting communities of practice. Each of these projects and communities create their own cultures and cooperatives resulting in a variety of production and organizational models, without clear metrics for assessing effectiveness and appropriateness, i.e. “readiness”. In addition, open source’s popularity has even given rise to dubious actors/motives interested in realizing the benefits of open source without the investment.
	26	+\\This research, and resulting outputs, will provide the resources necessary for decision-makers to assess the business-readiness of both the OSS infrastructure and the communities that enable it. The transparency these resources provide, we believe, will result in better decisions, and reduced risk, improving the potential for innovation, where cost reduction, collaboration, sustainability, are key factors for success.
	27	+\\In addition, project maintainers will benefit as they may use the same resources to help inform their own plans and priorities~-~-where to invest~-~-so that their community can mature, become more dependable, and itself, “business ready.”
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77	77	== What research method(s) will you use to answer this question? (200) ==
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84	84	Mixed methodology based on artifact reviews, surveys, and interviews supplemented by historiographical analysis of specific projects and corporate users.
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91	91	== What data or other resources will you use to answer this question? (200) ==