Successful usability testing in open source software projects

Abstract

Open source software has long been the domain of in-house production and personal use software programs. As the Internet becomes less and less of a specialist tool, this particular paradigm shifts. Now, many commercially available pieces of software are being created, as a whole or in part, with open source projects. As this happens, open source coders, who are used to creating software for themselves are facing the need to create a product that other people can use, some of whom are not technology aficionados. This thesis examines the process of implementing usability activities in open source software and looks at what does or does not work in the context of the open source community. This process begins with the creation of a usability case study, guided by Design Science Research method. Once that has been completed, a Comparative Analysis is conducted of that case study as compares to eight other cases from the same research series. As a result of this work, a methodology is proposed to outline the process of introducing usability testing into an open source project.