The Role of Technical Communicators in Open-Source Software: A Systematic Review

Abstract

To survive, Free/Open-Source Software (FOSS) projects need to attract and retain new contributors. Research has studied the many barriers that newcomers face when trying to contribute to FOSS projects. These barriers can cause newcomers to give up on contributing to FOSS projects. Many of the hurdles that newcomers face can be reduced or eliminated by skills that technical writers possess. In this paper, I aim to 1) present the results of a systematic literature review to identify the barriers that newcomers face, 2) identify roles that technical writers can take to help alleviate those barriers, and 3) identify ways that contributing to FOSS as part of the technical communication curriculum would be beneficial to students.