Usability discussions in open source development

M.B. Twidale and D.M. Nichols

2004 (June)

Working Paper No. 08/2004

Abstract

The public nature of discussion in open source projects provides a valuable resource for understanding the mechanisms of open source software development. In this paper we explore how open source projects address issues of usability. We examine bug reports of several projects to characterise how developers address and resolve issues concerning user interfaces and interaction design. We discuss how bug reporting and discussion systems can be improved to better support bug reporters and open source developers.

http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/pubs/wp/2004/uow-cs-wp-2004-08.pdf