Welcome to this web site, which details the research I perform in pursuit of the doctorate degree at Lero — the Irish Software Engineering Research Centre, CSIS, University of Limerick. My supervisor is Prof. Brian Fitzgerald, and you can find out more about me if you want.
Research objective
My research objective is to to find a framework [a skeleton which allows the characteristics of diffusions to be framed and aligned to facilitate comparisons.] which can be used to assess diffused [the process of spreading ideas, concepts, technology, or products.] of development methods [a systematic way of achieving a goal; often implies the use of tools [a means to facilitate a given operation.].] in the Debian Project, a global project of several thousand volunteers contributing to a free computer operating system.
The framework should capture factors which have an effect on the contributors' decision to adopt [acceptance with approval, usually following a period of scrutiny.] or reject a tool or process. Given a technology which improves the workflow of an aspect of Debian development, the framework can be used to estimate the rate of diffusion of this technology within the project. If this rate is unacceptably low, the framework can offer suggestions on where to concentrate efforts to speed up the process.
I hypothesise that such a framework can be used to streamline Debian development and thus increase the efficiency of every contributor. Moreover, the framework should be applicable to other volunteer projects, and management science, where a trend exists towards treating employees as volunteers by giving them increased amounts of autonomy.
Please refer to the separate pages on the background of my research and the approach I intend to use.
Research documentation
I document the progress at various stages during my research endeavour. Such documents constitute a good reference for those who are interested in my research beyond the broad overview given on these pages. The series of documents also captures the evolution of the research itself, which hardly ever remains constant throughout its period.
Initially, I put plans and theories into words and described intentions in research proposals. As a student of the British university system (used by the University of Limerick), I started off on the Masters track and had to convince a board of examiners that my research is at Ph.D. level before becoming a proper Ph.D. student.
- Research proposal, original version, 13 October 2005
- Research proposal, first revision, 11 August 2006
- Master to PhD track transfer report, 16 November 2007
