By an example of the Linux system, I introduce a concept of the Virtual Production Line (VPL) as an extension of an assembly line, brought in by Henry Ford in motor industry a hundred years ago, and demonstrate its usefulness in an analysis of open source software development. The line is...

Empirical evidence shows that research is being carried out more in cooperation or in collaboration with others, and the networks described by these collaborative research activities are becoming more and more complex. This phenomenon brings about new strands of research questions and opens up a...