Trust in open-source software communities: A multi-dimensional analysis
Harsimran Kaur, Sandeep Kaur · International Journal of Engineering in Computer Science · 2025
In recent years,rnOpen-Source Software (OSS) has emerged as a dynamic and innovative field. It isrndriven by a community-based software development paradigm, which differs fromrntypical, centralized software engineering approaches. Members of the open-sourcerncommunity cooperate and contribute jointly throughout the project's lifecycle,rnestablishing an environment of openness, transparency, and mutual support. Thernopen-source software development team is widely dispersed, with littlernface-to-face interaction or conventional organizational structures. As arnresult, building and sustaining trust among contributors is critical torneffective collaboration, coordination, and project sustainability. This articlerninvestigates how several trust characteristics, such as reputation, knowledge,rnhistorical contributions, and communication transparency, influencerninterpersonal and collective trust in OSS communities. The Linux KernelrnCommunity, a well-known and successful open-source project, is used to examinernthe dynamics of trust. This study attempts to provide insights into increasingrncollaborative efforts in distributed software environments, specifically withinrnOSS communities, by identifying the main aspects that foster or underminerntrust.