From Open Code to Open Contributions: Exploring Open Source Culture in Academia

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a code repository with an open source license must be in want of an extra maintainer." - Jane Austen, probably. While academic researchers and research technical professionals rely heavily on open source tools and software, and open research policies increase the amount of codebases available globally, contribution patterns remain uneven, with maintenance work often undervalued within academic reward structures. This workshop forms part of a larger 2025 SSI Fellowship project examining the current culture of open source contributions in the academic landscape and considering opportunities to incentivise, reward, and recognise the collective work of maintaining software. Participants will share personal experiences of open source contributions, and collectively analyse barriers to sustainable participation. They will also hear from groups currently working to actively promote open source contributions at their organisations, before brainstorming and developing practical proposals for effective support for open source contributions within academic settings. Participants will leave with both individual action commitments and collective strategies to enhance the recognition, support, and sustainability of open source contributions in academic environments.