Open Source Programming as a Framework for Scientific Collaboration: An Example in the Context of Land-use Change Modeling

Charles M. Schweik, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

5/09/2008
(Original Publish Date: 3/30/2004)

Traditional approaches to the communication and validation of scientific research (e.g., peer-review) and the communication of findings (e.g., refereed publication) have been in place in some form since shortly after the development of the printing press in the sixteenth century (Ziman, 1969; Johns, 2001). This process of peer-review as a mechanism to check for credible information (Burnham, 1990; Kronick, 1990) and journal publication has led to incredible progress in humanity’s scientific knowledge over the last four centuries. It also provides an example of how advances in technology (the printing press coupled with systems for the delivery of mail) can change the speed in which scientific knowledge can build.