{"id":4689,"date":"2025-09-17T03:09:18","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T03:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/?p=4689"},"modified":"2025-12-17T15:30:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T15:30:30","slug":"global-github-small-world-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/2025\/09\/17\/global-github-small-world-network\/","title":{"rendered":"The Small World Phenomenon in Global GitHub Collaboration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Zhang, G., Schuessler, J. H., &amp; Shao, C. Y. (2025). Small-World Phenomenon of Global Open-Source Software Collaboration on Github: A Social Network Analysis.&nbsp;<em>Journal of Global Information Management (JGIM), 33<\/em>(1), 1-24. <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4018\/JGIM.387412\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4018\/JGIM.387412<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Keywords:<\/strong> open-source software, GitHub, social network analysis, small-world networks, digital collaboration, software innovation, global economies<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"572\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2025\/09\/Small-World-Phenomenon-of-Global-Open-Source-Software-Collaboration-on-GitHub-A-Social-Network-Analysis-1024x572.png\" alt=\"Global GitHub collaboration is a small world network where influence comes from connections not size.\" class=\"wp-image-4957\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2025\/09\/Small-World-Phenomenon-of-Global-Open-Source-Software-Collaboration-on-GitHub-A-Social-Network-Analysis-1024x572.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2025\/09\/Small-World-Phenomenon-of-Global-Open-Source-Software-Collaboration-on-GitHub-A-Social-Network-Analysis-300x167.png 300w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2025\/09\/Small-World-Phenomenon-of-Global-Open-Source-Software-Collaboration-on-GitHub-A-Social-Network-Analysis-600x335.png 600w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2025\/09\/Small-World-Phenomenon-of-Global-Open-Source-Software-Collaboration-on-GitHub-A-Social-Network-Analysis-768x429.png 768w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2025\/09\/Small-World-Phenomenon-of-Global-Open-Source-Software-Collaboration-on-GitHub-A-Social-Network-Analysis-1536x857.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2025\/09\/Small-World-Phenomenon-of-Global-Open-Source-Software-Collaboration-on-GitHub-A-Social-Network-Analysis-2048x1143.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2025\/09\/Small-World-Phenomenon-of-Global-Open-Source-Software-Collaboration-on-GitHub-A-Social-Network-Analysis-1568x875.png 1568w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill-element\" style=\"grid-template-columns:26% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/schuessler-joseph-2020.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Joseph H. Schuessler\" class=\"wp-image-957 size-full\" style=\"object-position:46% 31%\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/schuessler-joseph-2020.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/schuessler-joseph-2020-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/schuessler-joseph-2020-267x400.jpg 267w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dr. Joseph H. Schuessler<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/credit.niso.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CRediT Taxonomy:<\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Writing \u2013 Review &amp; Editing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?user=sC0rsQsAAAAJ&amp;hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Google Scholar<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.tarleton.edu\/schuessler\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Faculty Profile<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:13px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text is-stacked-on-mobile\" style=\"grid-template-columns:26% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/chris-shao-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Chris Shao, Marketing professor\" class=\"wp-image-956 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/chris-shao-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/chris-shao-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/chris-shao-320x400.jpg 320w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/chris-shao-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/chris-shao-1229x1536.jpg 1229w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/chris-shao-1638x2048.jpg 1638w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/chris-shao-1600x2000.jpg 1600w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/chris-shao-1568x1960.jpg 1568w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2022\/05\/chris-shao-scaled.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dr. Chris Shao<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/credit.niso.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CRediT Taxonomy:<\/a>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Writing \u2013 Review &amp; Editing<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/mcis\/faculty-staff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Faculty Profile<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2025\/09\/Small-World-Phenomenon.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Introduction: Open-Source Isn\u2019t Just Code\u2014It\u2019s Global Strategy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When people think about open-source software (OSS), they often picture individual developers in dark rooms writing code late into the night. But the real story is far bigger\u2014and far more global.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Today, platforms like GitHub serve as digital meeting grounds for coders, companies, and even entire economies. Contributions come not just from tech giants in Silicon Valley, but from engineers in Kenya, startups in Estonia, and universities in Brazil. What\u2019s powering this cross-border collaboration?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And more importantly for business leaders: <strong>how do you position your organization\u2014or your country\u2014to win in this new, network-driven world of innovation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our study set out to answer that question. By analyzing three years of collaboration data from GitHub, we mapped out how economies around the world are connected through OSS projects. What we found was surprising\u2014even thrilling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, GitHub behaves like a small-world network. But that doesn\u2019t just mean it\u2019s efficient\u2014it means you don\u2019t have to be a global giant to be globally important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Is a \u201cSmall-World\u201d Network\u2014and Why Should You Care?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The small-world phenomenon is a simple but powerful idea: in a tightly connected network, even distant players can reach each other quickly through just a few connections. Think \u201csix degrees of separation,\u201d but for code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why does this matter?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a small-world network:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Innovation spreads faster.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Partnerships form more easily.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Influence can scale\u2014even from small starting points.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re a CIO, a tech founder, or a government leader building your digital economy, knowing how your region or organization fits into this network is key. The rules of the game have changed\u2014and we now have data to prove it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What We Did<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We used GitHub\u2019s <strong>Innovation Graph<\/strong>\u2014a rich dataset of real development activity from 2020 to 2023. We tracked collaboration events (like code pushes and pull requests) across nearly <strong>190 economies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then we used <strong>social network analysis<\/strong> tools to uncover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Which economies are most central to global collaboration<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How they\u2019re connected to each other<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Whether the overall structure behaves like a small-world<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn\u2019t theory\u2014it\u2019s the real blueprint of digital collaboration happening right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What We Found<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. <strong>GitHub Is a Global Small-World<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The network scores <strong>very high<\/strong> on \u201csmall-worldness.\u201d That means economies are densely interconnected, and it doesn\u2019t take many hops to reach anyone from anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Translation:<\/strong> Good ideas and code can spread faster than ever\u2014no matter where they start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. <strong>You Don\u2019t Need Size to Be Central<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Some of the usual suspects\u2014like the U.S. and China\u2014do play central roles. But we found several smaller economies punching way above their weight in the collaboration network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Takeaway:<\/strong> You don\u2019t need millions of developers to matter. Strategic engagement and smart partnerships can elevate your influence in global OSS development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. <strong>Activity Alone Doesn\u2019t Equal Influence<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Just having more developers or more GitHub repositories doesn\u2019t automatically make a country central in the network. That\u2019s because <strong>influence depends on who you\u2019re connected to<\/strong>, not just how much you produce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>For companies:<\/strong> It\u2019s not enough to crank out code\u2014you need to connect with key players and ecosystems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. <strong>OSS Collaboration Networks Are Surprisingly Stable<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>We expected major shifts due to COVID, economic turbulence, and political instability. Instead, we found that collaboration communities remained about <strong>90% stable<\/strong> over the three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Implication:<\/strong> Once you\u2019ve established your place in the global network, it tends to stick. But that also means if you\u2019re not engaging now, you\u2019re falling behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why It Matters for Business and Government<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This study isn\u2019t just academic. It has real implications for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Tech companies<\/strong> looking to grow their developer reach<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Governments<\/strong> aiming to grow their digital economies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Universities<\/strong> building global research partnerships<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Startups<\/strong> wanting to scale through open-source<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the big idea: <strong>OSS is more than a technical asset\u2014it\u2019s a strategic one<\/strong>. And success in open-source isn\u2019t just about writing great code. It\u2019s about understanding how to move within a global network of collaboration, innovation, and influence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>So What Should You Do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re in leadership\u2014at a company, a university, or a country\u2014here are a few moves worth making:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Map your network<\/strong>: Understand who you\u2019re collaborating with, and how strategically important those partners are in the global OSS landscape.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Invest in OSS engagement<\/strong>: Sponsor open-source contributions, not just consumption.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Teach network fluency<\/strong>: Help your teams understand the value of collaboration\u2014not just execution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Look beyond the big players<\/strong>: Some of the most influential economies in OSS are not the largest\u2014they\u2019re the most connected.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Final Thought<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Open-source is rewriting the rules of business\u2014and the map of global influence. Whether you\u2019re leading a startup in Austin, a ministry in Nairobi, or a university in Singapore, <strong>you\u2019re part of this network<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And thanks to platforms like GitHub\u2014and networks that behave like small worlds\u2014you\u2019re only a few connections away from your next innovation breakthrough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Open Source, Big Impact: What GitHub&#039;s Global Network Reveals About Innovation\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LR90Ju11AIo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Alignment with U.N. Sustainable Development Goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Goal 9 \u2013 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure:<\/strong> By mapping collaborative software development across economies, this study supports the creation of robust innovation infrastructure and equal access to digital participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Goal 17 \u2013 Partnerships for the Goals:<\/strong> The research champions international cooperation and knowledge-sharing, revealing that even small economies can play central roles in global innovation through open collaboration platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Classification of Scholarship<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This research aligns with <strong>Basic or Discovery Scholarship<\/strong> and <strong>Applied or Integration\/Application Scholarship<\/strong> as defined by AACSB.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Applied or Integration\/Application Scholarship<\/strong>: The findings have clear practical implications for policymakers, global organizations, and educators. By identifying how economies can position themselves more strategically within OSS networks, the study offers actionable guidance to improve global collaboration, innovation capacity, and digital infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Basic or Discovery Scholarship<\/strong>: The study contributes new theoretical insights into global open-source collaboration networks by validating the existence of the small-world phenomenon at the economy level. It advances our understanding of how digital collaboration structures form and function globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Journal Quality Indicators<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>ABDC Ranking:<\/strong> A<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>JCR Impact Factor:<\/strong> 3.9<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Google Scholar h-5 Score:<\/strong>&nbsp;NA<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SciMago h-index:<\/strong> 50<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ABS:<\/strong> Yes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cabell\u2019s Acceptance Rate:<\/strong> 24%<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Indexed by<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cabell&#8217;s:<\/strong> Yes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>EBSCO:<\/strong> Yes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SCOPUS:<\/strong> Yes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>JIF:<\/strong> Yes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>SCIMago:<\/strong> Yes<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>ERIC:<\/strong> No<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Westlaw:<\/strong> No<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>LexisNexis:<\/strong> No<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ulrich&#8217;s:<\/strong> Yes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This study explores global GitHub collaboration as a small world network, showing that strategic connectivity, not developer or project volume, drives influence and knowledge flow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":4957,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","wds_primary_category":33,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[121,117,122,113,118,112,123,119,120,114,124,115,116],"class_list":["post-4689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-intellectual-contributions","tag-developer-collaboration","tag-digital-collaboration","tag-digital-connectivity","tag-github-network-analysis","tag-global-innovation","tag-global-software-collaboration","tag-knowledge-diffusion","tag-network-centrality","tag-open-source-ecosystems","tag-open-source-software","tag-platform-ecosystems","tag-small-world-network","tag-social-network-analysis"],"acf":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"schuessler","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/author\/schuessler-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/103\/2025\/09\/Small-World-Phenomenon-of-Global-Open-Source-Software-Collaboration-on-GitHub-A-Social-Network-Analysis-300x167.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Intellectual Contributions<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">Intellectual Contributions<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">developer collaboration<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">digital collaboration<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">digital connectivity<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">GitHub network analysis<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">global innovation<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">global software collaboration<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">knowledge diffusion<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">network centrality<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">open source ecosystems<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">open source software<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">platform ecosystems<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">small world network<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/category\/intellectual-contributions\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">social network analysis<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">developer collaboration<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">digital collaboration<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">digital connectivity<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">GitHub network analysis<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">global innovation<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">global software collaboration<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">knowledge diffusion<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">network centrality<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">open source ecosystems<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">open source software<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">platform ecosystems<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">small world network<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">social network analysis<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 7 months ago","modified":"Updated 4 months ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on September 17, 2025","modified":"Updated on December 17, 2025"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on September 17, 2025 3:09 am","modified":"Updated on December 17, 2025 3:30 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4689","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/93"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4689"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4689\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4973,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4689\/revisions\/4973"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4957"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4689"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4689"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/cob\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4689"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}