Factors Influencing Developer Adoption in Open-Source Projects: A Conceptual Framework

Abstract

Open-source software (OSS) projects depend critically on attracting and retaining developers, but many projects struggle to build a strong, long-lasting community of contributors . This paper introduces the Developer Adoption Journey Model, which explains developer adoption as a series of stages instead of one single decision. The framework identifies five stages which include discovery, evaluation, first contribution, community Integration, and sustained engagement. By breaking down the steps developers go through when adopting a tool, the framework helps maintainers understand where developers get stuck and how to fix those issues. It also gives researchers a clear way to study the behavior of developers in open-source projects. This framework brings together recent research on why people accept new technology, what challenges newcomers face, and how communities work. By combining these ideas, it creates one model that better explains how developers start using and adopting open-source tools.