CFP- Handbook of Research on Open Source Software Re: ::fibreculture:: WebCT, Open Source and Beyond

[Han-Teng Liao]

Dear all, 

	Attached is a "Call for Chapters" regarding OSS. 

I find your discussion fruitful and specific.  Perhaps

a wiki production of a chapter regarding
 
"Educational Applications of OSS" ?


---
Han-Teng Liao, Project Manager

    OSSF (http://www.openfoundry.org)  
    Institute of Information Science
    Academia Sinica, Nankang 11529
    Taipei, Taiwan, ROC

          
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Subject: CFP- Handbook of Research on Open Source Software

Call for Chapters - Submission Deadline Oct. 1, 2005

Handbook of Research on Open Source Software: Technological, Economic,
and Social Perspectives

Edited by Kirk St.Amant and Brian Still, Texas Tech University

Introduction
The decision to purchase or to use a particular software product can be
the choice that results in the success or the failure of an
organization. For this reason, decision makers at different levels and
in a variety of fields need to understand the factors that contribute to
the effective adoption and use of software products. Open source
software (OSS) is increasingly viewed as a viable option that can allow
a variety or public and private organizations to achieve their desired
goals. OSS adoption and use, however, is complicated by the social
agendas and the economic goals many individuals attach to the use of OSS
materials.  

The Overall Objective of the Book
The purpose of this handbook is to provide readers with a foundational
understanding of the origins, operating principles, legalities, social
factors, and economic forces that affect the uses of OSS. For this
reason, the proposed handbook would focus on areas and concepts
essential to understanding when and how various organizations should
adopt OSS. Chapters would present short (3,500-5,000 word), focused
perspectives on a particular aspect of OSS adoption and/or use. Such
perspectives would be designed to help businesspersons, researchers, and
other decision makers make more informed choices that would facilitate
the ease and effectiveness with which their organization used or
interacted with OSS products.  

TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience for this handbook would be five groups that would
use this text for a variety of reasons.  
* Executives, manager, and administrators in business, government, and
education, and academia
* Researchers investigating the history, uses, and perspectives (social
and economic) related to OSS
* Librarians working for corporate, government, or educational
organizations
* Graduate instructors and graduate students in MIS, MBA, and PhD
programs
* Individuals in organizations that have adopted or are considering
adopting OSS for certain activities 

RECOMMENDED TOPICS
Prospective subject areas and specific topics for this publication
include, but are not limited to, the following

History and Background of Open Source Software
* Presenting a history of the hacker: From MIT to today
* Discussing free software, Richard Stallman, and GNU: A history and a
look at influences on OSS
* Overviewing the development of Linux (or history of development of
other free software/OSS tools)
* Overviewing the history of OSS
* Annotated bibliography (bibliographies) of different online or print
sources on OSS

OSS Culture and Practices:  Definitions and Explanations
* Defining who the OSS developer/hacker is (motivations, influences,
skills, demographics)
* Defining what OSS culture is
* Examining how OSS projects work: Explaining how they differ from
proprietary projects
* Explaining differences in object code vs. source code

Comparisons and Evaluations of OSS to Other Products
* Discussing the strengths and weaknesses of OSS in comparison to
Proprietary Software
* Reviewing OSS development model vs. proprietary software development
model
* Comparing OSS developer to proprietary software developer
* Reviewing customer service, customer support and OSS
* Evaluating OSS content management systems (CMS): How do you know which
one to choose?
* Examining desktop publishing: What OSS alternatives exist to Windows?
Drawbacks? Future Trends?
* Examining OSS security systems

Business Cases and Applications of OSS
* Discussing what is needed to use OSS? Staffing requirements, on-site
technical expertise, budget, etc.
* Examining how should OSS be evaluated-when do you know you should
adopt or pass on OSS?
* Presenting case studies of OSS evaluation and adoption
* Overviewing the Apache Internet Server and its strong niche in the
market
* Discussing profitable OSS business models: Case studies or other
models successful OSS use
* Reporting on IBM and support of OSS
* Discussing how OSS threatens Microsoft, and/or how Microsoft responds
to this threat
* Applying OSS business models outside of software in other industries:
What examples already exist?
* Besides Linux, what other examples of OSS successes exist? 

Licensing and Legalities Related to OSS
* Explaining GPL and Copyleft-the first license: define it, explain how
it works, address controversy
* Overviewing and comparing the most popular OSS licenses
* Creative Commons, copyrighting documentation, non-software creative
work
* Discussing which license to choose: What does the user need to know? 
* Comparing OSS licensing to Proprietary Software Licensing
* Examining license proliferation: Why are there so many licenses and
what problems can this cause?
* Exploring licensing choices: Benefits and limitations of OSS licenses
* Overviewing licensing and product development: What does the user need
to know?
* Ripping multimedia: The Copyright Problems Related to OSS Use
* Privacy, Security, and Surveillance: Cryptography and Government
Control
* Whose Code is it Anyway? The conflict between SCO and Linux
* Explaining intellectual property issues involving copyleft and the
GPL, or of OSS in general

International Issues and Developments Related to OSS Use
* The EU's Adoption of OSS: A Model for the Future?
* Culture and Coding: Can We Create International Standards for OSS Use?
* Wiring the World: The Role of OSS in Shrinking the Global Digital
Divide
* What nations are using OSS and why?
* International nature of OSS development (e.g., outsourcing, free
trade, cultural barriers)
* Is Europe and other nations outside the US more OSS friendly? Why or
why not?
* OSS and global democracy (tools like Camera/Shy and Peekabooty)
* Legislative acts, OSS, and the free sharing of information in other
nations
* Case studies of OSS implementation overseas (i.e., governments,
companies, or organizations)

Educational Applications of OSS
* Uses of OSS to enhance learning (i.e., Moodle, Drupal)
* Case studies of OSS alternatives used instead of proprietary software
* MIT and open courseware
* Claroline and the Packaging of Distance Education for Online Students
* Blogging as Educational Activity

Governmental and Other Public Sector Applications of OSS
* Examining OSS Use at the Federal and the Local Levels
* Getting the Word Out: Government Uses of OSS to Interact with Citizens
* The Security Factor: National Defense, OSS, and Terrorist Networks

Perspectives for the Future of OSS Use
* Shifting the Model: Will OSS Become a For-Profit Industry?
* Development Practices: How Will the Code Be Created?
* Culture and Code: Projections on OSS and Global Computer Use

SUBMISSION PROCEDURE
Authors are invited to submit chapter proposals (one, single-spaced page
maximum) on or before October 1, 2005. In their proposal, perspective
authors should clearly explain
* The purpose and the contents of their proposed chapter
* How their proposed chapter relates to the overall objectives of the
book

Authors will be notified of the status of their proposal and sent
chapter organization guidelines by October 30, 2005. Drafts of chapters
will be due by February 15, 2006. 

Please send inquiries or submit material electronically (Rich Text
files) to both editors at

kirk.st-amant <at> ttu.edu
and
brian.still <at> ttu.edu

This book is tentatively scheduled for publishing by Idea Group
Reference (an imprint of Idea Group Inc.) <www.idea-group.com <http://www.idea-group.com>> in Spring
2007.