Open Source Policy and Research Bulletins

Open source software and the community source movement are raising questions for administrators about whether and when to adopt or devote resources to software development projects, provoking questions of sustainability, future directions, and total cost of ownership. This research bulletin frames the issues an institution should consider with respect to adding community source products to the portfolio of software, infrastructure, and services that constitute the IT environment.

This research bulletin examines the current state of open source initiatives in higher education. It provides a roadmap for incorporating open source application development in an information technology strategy by addressing alignment of IT strategy within the institution, inter-institutional partnering arrangements, intellectual property licensing, and evolution of application software as Web services.