Free and Open Source Software Adoption: Opportunities and Challenges

This research proposal explores the opportunities and challenges of adopting Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) in business industries. It focuses on the security risks and performance impact of FOSS and aims to identify the key aspects of FOSS software through a literature review.

RESEARCH PROPOSAL 0
Free and Open Source Software
(FOSS) Adoption: Opportunities
and Challenges

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Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2
Research project background......................................................................................................................2
Literature review.....................................................................................................................................2
Objectives of the research.......................................................................................................................7
Research problem/Research gap.................................................................................................................8
Research methodologies.............................................................................................................................9
Research design.......................................................................................................................................9
Research strategy....................................................................................................................................9
Data collection method...........................................................................................................................9
Data analysis technique.........................................................................................................................10
Timeline.................................................................................................................................................10
Research significance................................................................................................................................11
Mitigation tools and techniques................................................................................................................12
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................12
References.................................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction
The term FOSS is defined as free and open source software which is a kind of software that
can be divided as both free software and open source software. Such kind of computer tools
mainly allows consumers and companies to edit and modify the source code of developed
computer software. Moreover, it provides a platform to the developers for increasing
program functionality by modifying their working and key factors (Andersen-Gott, Ghinea,
and Bygstad, 2012). The Key purpose of this investigation is to identify the security risks
and challenges associated with the free and open source software and evaluate their
opportunities in the business industries. It is analyzed that the use of FOSS is increasing
very fast as it helps the users for reusing the produced software and tools by modifying
their properties. This report mainly focuses on the security issues and other challenges
linked with the free and open source software which impact on the performance of
computer devices. There are various kinds of sections will be included in this paper while
conducting the research, for example, literature review, background of the research,
methodologies and so on.
Research project background
For better understanding, the concept of free and open source software a literature review
will be conducted that help for finding the effective results and outcomes of previous
papers. The literature section identifies the gaps occurred in the previous papers and
evaluate the viewpoints of other authors about the FOSS software. It is analyzed that free
and open source software is a very common topic for the investigation and there are
numbers of authors provided their opinions on this topic. The objective of this section is to
identify the key aspects of FOSS software and describe the findings of the other authors on
the research topic.
Literature review
According to Anzalone, Glover, and Pearce, (2013), FOSS is one of common software which
is used by many companies in order to modify the current software used by employees.
This paper critically reviewed the fundamental idea behind free and open source software

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by comparing the opinions of other researchers. It is argued that the term FOSS provides a
way to the consumers for increasing overall functionality of the program by modifying the
properties of recent software used in the systems. In this modern era, there are numbers of
FOSS projects are available for active developers by which they can easily control and
monitor the overall performance of computer devices.
It is analyzed that most of FOSS software contain a type of legal golden rule for changing or
modifying the current software. Such kind of process produces trust in the consumers and
developers which help them for implementing numbers of projects in very less time. The
research outcomes of this study show that by using the concept of FOSS developers can
modify and solve the issues occurred in the previous software or computer tools. The
researchers provided theoretical information about the FOSS system which creates a gap in
the research and the future research will focus on such kinds of issues and improve the
quality of the research. A recent study conducted by Ducke, (2012) argued that the concept
of free and open source software was implemented by Richard Stallman in the year 1980s
which provided the best way for enhancing the overall performance of computer software
and tools. Mainly, open source focuses on the practical consequences which enabled the
developers for changing and improving the properties of the current software used in the
business industries.
After analyzing the research paper it has found that the FOSS system control and civil
liberty rights of the user are software and by utilizing such kind of process the overall cost
of software can be resolved. As compared with the previous papers, Filippova and Cho,
(2015) provided in-depth analysis and identified that security of data is one of the biggest
issues occurred in the FOSS due to which developers and users may suffer from the data
breach related issues. Such kinds of issues occur in the field of open source software where
criminals develop and produce the third party open source from the perspective of
hacking. It is identified that in terms of cost open and free source software is very less
expansive due to which it can be used in both small and large business industries where
developers can develop and modify the current software in an effective manner. After
reviewing the opinions of authors it is identified that such kind of process can be used in

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the area of software packages that reduce overall issues and problems linked with the
computer software.
The term FOSS can be used for both free and open source tools and it allows consumers to
inspect the source code of previous software and deliver a large level of control of
software’s functions. By comparing with the other papers, it is analyzed that the authors
used effective research methods that helped them in finding reliable and effective
information about free and open source software. From the previous study conducted by
Foss, Frederiksen, and Rullani, (2016) it is evaluated that FOSS mainly grants the
consumers to run the computer software by modifying the source code of current software.
In this advanced generation, the use of free and open source software is increasing day by
day as it improves the overall performance of the computer devices.
After evaluating the paper it is identified that the authors did not describe the limitations of
the FOSS technology which produce a research gap between the facts and research
questions. Such kinds of issues and problems are solved by Gangadharan, et al., (2013) that
critically reviewed the complete information about the FOSS and argued on the benefits
and drawbacks of this process. It is identified that around 3.4 million developers are using
the concept of FOSS technology for producing numbers of the source code of computer
software. VLC is one of the best examples of this technique which is used by numbers of
consumers as it is modified with the help of free and open source software by which users
can easily watch small and large quality videos very easily. From this paper, it has analyzed
that FOSS plays a major role in the field of computer science where it provides a platform
for changing the source code of a software and improves their performance in very low
cost.
According to the Mendyk, et al., (2012) due to the immense impact of the free and open
source software on business industries and companies it is very significant to evaluate the
history, concept, advantages and disadvantages of FOSS system. From this paper, it is
identified that FOSS is defined as the computer software which is both free and open
source that can be used in the business industries for controlling and managing issues or
problems occurred in the computer software. For better understanding, the authors also

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conducted a literature review that helped them in finding and obtaining the relevant facts
about the FOSS technique. It is very important for companies and developers to reuse the
existing software and it can be solved with the help of the concept of free and open source
software. The research outcomes of the paper show that community support is one of the
effective advantages of FOOS system that can be used in the area of business industries
from the perspective of businesses. Pearce, (2012) argued that there is a very huge
community of volunteers who support and promote FOOS systems and it is very important
for developers to reuse the software and tools. Moreover, such kind of technology control
and manage the security related to the software and also reduce the overall cost of type
software by reducing the risk factors from the system.
As compared with the other papers the authors provided complete information about the
FOSS and also identified the key factors of FOSS that can help the developers for
understanding the importance of FOSS technology. It is evaluated that most of the free and
open source software does not require any extra charges for accessing due to which there
are numbers of cyber-attacks and security issues may be increased in the system which can
impact on the performance of the networks and devices. According to Steiniger, and
Hunter, (2012) the free and open sources are more secure because their source code is
available for scrutiny to the large community but it is not completely true because it does
not provide any private key for accessing that can increase security threats.
For supporting this argument Steiniger, and Hunter, (2013) conducted a survey and
obtained that FOSS has the potential for improving performance of the system but in terms
of security or privacy it cannot be performed much better. It is estimated that such kind of
process can be used for the education and research purpose but in this generation numbers
of companies are using in their businesses because of their ability for modifying the
computer software. According to Swain, et al., (2015) there are numbers of licenses
included in the area of FOSS such as GNU, Free BSS, Mozilla, Apache and X11 license. In this
paper, the authors critically reviewed the applications and licenses of free and open source
software. The authors included a secondary data collection method that helped them for
obtaining the theoretical information about the FOSS.

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The major research gap occurred in this paper is that authors did not explain and
challenges linked with the free and open source software due to which the readers are not
able to understand the risk factors linked with FOSS. As stated by Trevisan, et al., (2013)
the for controlling and performing FOSS consumers use an internet connection that helps
them for downloading and applying the concept of this technique in the computer software.
After evaluating this paper it is argued that the FOSS process mainly facilitates the design of
numerous applications per the consumer’s requirement. However, FOSS is one of the best
computer tools that can be used in the companies and business sectors which is free of cost
that does not require any additional charges. The developed model for FOSS is completely
based on the data, test outcomes, key features, and comments and so on. Generally, the
participants in the case of FOSS are highly motivated by the exchange of skills in order to
achieve the aims.
It is observed that Wang, (2012) provided their views on this topic and reduced the
drawbacks of previous studies by adopting reliable information from the literature survey.
From this article, it is obtained that there are numbers of applications of free and open
source software such as business firms, educational institutes, and many more. The
conclusion of this paper reported that FOSS is one of the effective approaches for modifying
the software and tools at less cost. Therefore, the authors identified that in the future the
opportunities of FOSS will grow rapidly and it will help the developers for improving the
performance of computer software.
According to Wijnen, et al., (2014) the open source software mainly includes various steps,
for example, free distribution rights, permission to modify the system, access to secure
code, distribute modifications, and so on. The authors also examined that administration is
another major problem occurred in the open source programming which can impact on the
overall efficiency of computer devices. Moreover, the open source software cannot be
developed and implemented in a controlled environment which can increase the rate of
cyber-crimes and attacks in the companies. It is demonstrated that the lack of continuity
and common direction both are very common challenges faced by the developers while
using the key idea behind the free and open source software. Moreover, such kinds of

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issues can produce barriers in computer devices and software due to which experts or
developers can face security vulnerabilities.
A recent study identified that there are various advantages of free and open source
software, for example, continuous evolution, larger customization, avoiding vendor lock-in,
improve the overall availability of systems and devices. By taking such kinds of benefits
through FOSS system companies and developers can enhance the overall performance of
their businesses in an effective manner.
Brovelli, et al., (2017) argued that there are several challenges linked with the free and
open source software due to which companies can suffer from the various issues and
problems. These challenges involve security or vulnerabilities, steep learning curve,
inadequate support, complexity and so on. From previous studies, it has found that data
breach and cyber-attack both are very common issues linked with the free and open source
networks that impact on the overall effectiveness of the wireless networks and computer
devices. It is argued that there are numbers of authors provided their views on this issues
and identified that lack of security is one of the major problems occurred in the FOSS
systems which increase cyber-crimes related issues in the companies.
Salve, Lihitkar, and Lihitkar, (2012) provided their views on FOSS and conducted a
literature review for obtaining reliable information about the research topic. In this paper,
the researchers evaluated the key aspects of free and open source software and also
identified their future opportunities in the business industries. As compared with the other
papers the researchers did not elaborate on the applications of FOSS which produce a
research gap in the paper. This literature survey critically reviewed each and every aspect
of FOSS along with their challenges.
Objectives of the research
There are various objectives and aims of this research paper which are described below:
 To elaborate on the key idea behind free and open source software
 To gain knowledge in the area of FOSS
 To identify the risk factors and challenges linked with FOSS software

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 To describe the strategies and techniques for reducing challenges and issues
occurred in FOSS
Research problem/Research gap
The term FOSS is now used in the many business industries as it is more effective and
reliable from the perspective of businesses. Such kinds of processes help the developers for
changing the properties of computer software and provide new source code for improving
the overall performance of computer software. Security of data is one of the major issues
linked with the open source software because it does not provide any private key for
accessing their service and it is less private. The research problem for this paper is “to
describe security and other challenges linked with free and open source software “.
Moreover, collecting effective strategies and process is another problem which can impact
on the performance of user’s networks and devices.
The major research gap of this research study is that it is very complex to identify the risk
factors linked with the free and open source software that increase the rate of
vulnerabilities and problems in computer devices. Therefore this research report will focus
on both these issues and problems and suggest reliable or appropriate methods for
improving the performance of free and open source software. Moreover, for better
understanding, a survey will be conducted that can help with finding the views of other
consumers and help while developing a research problem.
From the above literature review, it has learnt that complexity and security both are very
common challenges occurred in the area of FOSS but in terms of reliability it is very
effective that can be used by developers for producing a large amount of source code. It is
argued that the challenges and opportunities linked with FOSS is a very common topic for
the research and it is very important to discover their importance in companies, challenges
and prevention techniques. All these points will be explained in this research and for
solving the problems associated with free and open source there are various strategies or
methods will be described. For obtaining the effective data and improving the overall
quality of the investigation there are various research methods will be included and these
are described in the next section.

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Research methodologies
Research design
It is a very major section of research methodology that has the ability for providing the
effective hypothesis and research aims to the authors. In this research, the researcher will
be used both qualitative and quantitative research design that can help them for reducing
errors and the problem occurred in the research. Mainly, the qualitative design will focus
on the theoretical information about FOSS system but in the case of quantitative design will
allow numerical and graphical data about the research title. By using such kinds of research
design the researcher will maintain the research gaps and obtain reliable information
about FOSS.
Research strategy
It is a very common kind of method which is used in the research paper and it provides a
platform for developing an effective structure of the research. In this investigation, the
writer will include various kinds of strategies and approaches, for example, literature
review, and survey through a questionnaire, questions, observations and many more.
Mainly, the literature section will deliver theoretical information and survey will help the
author for collecting the opinions of participants and experts. Moreover, the theoretical
information will be obtained from various sources, for example, journal papers, websites,
and other online sources. Therefore, using such kinds of research strategies the author will
maintain the research gaps and problems and achieve the aims of the research.
Data collection method
The data obtaining process is a very important part of any research that provides a way for
collecting and gathering facts or materials about the research topic. In the current research,
the writer will be adopted both primary and secondary types of methods in order to obtain
data about FOSS software. Mainly, the primary data collection provides fresh information
about the research title but secondary data gathering technique deliver theoretical
information. In this study, the investigator will conduct a survey through questionnaire for
gathering primary data and also involve a literature review section in order to obtain a
secondary type of data. However, the questionnaire will be sent to the participants with the

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help of social media or mail and the experts will provide their views on free and open
source software. Therefore, using this type of data collection techniques the researcher can
control and monitor the overall quality of the research and gain effective results. Moreover,
the secondary data will be gathered from various processes or resources, for example,
peer-reviewed papers, journal papers, books and many more.
Data analysis technique
It is an essential section of research methodology that helps the authors for obtaining
reliable information from data collection methods. It is argued that there are various types
of data analyzing methods used in the research, for example, content analysis, and
descriptive statistical method and so on. In this journal article, the investigator will adopt a
descriptive statistical analysis method because of their capability for providing the
appropriate facts and data about FOSS software. In order to obtain the results of the survey
and literature review, the author will adopt SPSS computer software. This tool can help the
researcher for representing the collected data and information in the form of a graph or
figure. It is evaluated that by including these kinds of research methods the author can
easily achieve aims and objectives of the research and also reduces the drawbacks of
previous studies. In this paper, the author will adopt Excel software for showing the data in
the form of graph and analyzing the collected facts from both primary and secondary data
collection techniques. Therefore all these research methodologies will help the author for
gaining the effective conclusion and results.
Timeline

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Research significance
The major significance of this research report is to evaluate the concept of free and open
source software and identify the challenges linked with the FOSS. This paper will play a
major contribution to the research where the readers and the students can analyse the key
aspects of FOSS software and enhance their skills in the area of information technology. In
which the author will include various kinds of journal papers for better understanding
about free and open source software and also compare the results of previous papers that
can help the students for understanding the challenges occurred in FOSS. In the area of
business industries and society, this research will help the developers for understanding
the importance of FOSS software. Moreover, it can increase knowledge of human and users

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because the researcher will elaborate key points of FOSS software. However, the current
research is different from other papers because in which the author critically reviewed the
challenges and problems linked with the free and open source and also suggest techniques
to overcome them.
Mitigation tools and techniques
There are following steps and methods can be used for reducing challenges linked with
FOSS
 Design and implement security policies and strategies
 Identify risk factors linked with FOSS
 Control and monitor the overall performance of FOSS
 Improve security by using encryption and firewall software
 Use open source software in only authentic networks
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it is concluded that FOSS is an effective approach which can be
used in the companies for modifying the computer software and producing numbers of
source codes for the software. This research highlighted the challenges and risks linked
with FOSS and conducted a literature review for evaluating the data and facts about FOSS.
Moreover, it is evaluated that security is a common problem which occurred in the FOSS
software that can impact on the performance of computer devices. Therefore, it is
recommended that developers should focus on the security and privacy of data while using
free and open source software.

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References
Andersen-Gott, M., Ghinea, G. and Bygstad, B., (2012) Why do commercial companies
contribute to open source software?. International journal of information
management, 32(2), pp.106-117.
Anzalone, G., Glover, A. and Pearce, J., (2013) Open-source colorimeter. Sensors, 13(4),
pp.5338-5346.
Brovelli, M.A., Minghini, M., Moreno-Sanchez, R. and Oliveira, R., (2017) Free and open
source software for geospatial applications (FOSS4G) to support Future
Earth. International journal of digital earth, 10(4), pp.386-404.
Ducke, B., (2012) Natives of a connected world: free and open source software in
archaeology. World Archaeology, 44(4), pp.571-579.
Filippova, A. and Cho, H., (2015) Mudslinging and manners: Unpacking conflict in free and
open source software. In Proceedings of the 18th ACM Conference on Computer Supported
Cooperative Work & Social Computing, 12(8), pp. 1393-1403.
Foss, N.J., Frederiksen, L. and Rullani, F., (2016) Problem‐formulation and problem‐solving
in self‐organized communities: How modes of communication shape project behaviours in
the free open‐source software community. Strategic management journal, 37(13), pp.2589-
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Gangadharan, G.R., D’andrea, V., De Paoli, S. and Weiss, M., (2012) Managing license
compliance in free and open source software development. Information Systems
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Mendyk, A., Jachowicz, R., Fijorek, K., Dorozynski, P., Kulinowski, P. and Polak, S., (2012)
KinetDS: an open source software for dissolution test data analysis. Dissolution
Technologies, 19(1), pp.6-11.
Pearce, J.M., (2012) Building research equipment with free, open-source
hardware. Science, 337(6100), pp.1303-1304.

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Salve, A., Lihitkar, S.R. and Lihitkar, R., (2012) Open source software as tools for libraries:
an overview. DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, 32(5), pp. 12-16.
Steiniger, S. and Hunter, A.J., (2012) Free and open source GIS software for building spatial
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(2015) A review of open source software solutions for developing water resources web
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Trevisan, J., Angelov, P.P., Scott, A.D., Carmichael, P.L. and Martin, F.L., (2013) IRootLab: a
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Wang, J., (2012) Survival factors for Free Open Source Software projects: A multi-stage
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