How to Value Open Source Contributions? An Institutional Perspective from CERN

2026-07-05

AI Summary

This study addresses the current lack of systematic approaches for evaluating the scale and impact of institutional contributions to open-source software. To bridge this gap, the authors propose the first reusable, comprehensive assessment framework that integrates archival data from Software Heritage, dependency graph analysis, economic valuation models, and semi-structured interviews, enabling both quantitative and qualitative analysis of institutional open-source activities. Applying this framework to CERN as a case study, the research reveals that the organization has contributed over six million commits to more than 50,000 open-source projects and identifies several high-impact, institution-led projects. These findings demonstrate the framework’s effectiveness and generalizability in capturing the breadth and significance of institutional engagement in the open-source ecosystem.

Abstract

We present a methodology to systematically assess the scale and impact of an organization's contributions to open source software (OSS). The methodology combines the archival data of Software Heritage with usage metrics, dependency analysis, economic valuation models, and interviews to comprehensively understand institutional OSS involvement. We then apply the methodology to the European Organisation for Nuclear Physics (CERN). Despite using mostly commit data, we obtain a thorough overview of CERN's OSS engagement. We identify over six million commits made to over 50,000 projects and highlight the most impactful projects led by CERN. Beyond CERN, the methodology offers a reusable framework for organizations seeking to measure and evaluate their OSS contributions.

Problem

• open source software
• institutional contribution
• impact assessment
• valuation
• software heritage

Innovation

• open source software
• impact assessment
• Software Heritage
• economic valuation
• institutional contribution