Article

Factors Influencing the Acceptance and Adoption of Open-Source Software: A Concept-Centric Systematic Literature Review

Free and open-source software (FOSS) is software in which anyone is freely licensed to use, copy, study, and change the software in any way. The source code is publicly shared, encouraging people to improve the software design voluntarily. This is in contrast to proprietary software, where the software is subject to a restrictive copyright license and the source code is usually hidden from users. Many countries are witnessing a significant transition towards adopting open-source software within their government structures, coupled with efforts to develop strategies and policies that support this trend. This change is attributed to several reasons, most notably savings in the total cost of ownership, freedom to copy and distribute software, compliance with legal controls, high reliability, a variety of available programs, and rapid performance, in addition to the multiple educational and administrative benefits. Despite this remarkable expansion, it remains necessary to understand the potential of this software for individuals and entities while identifying the factors influencing its adoption. Accordingly, this study aims to explore the acceptance of open-source software and analyze the technical, administrative, and personal factors that promote its use, especially in environments undergoing a transition towards sustainable digital systems. The study collected several papers published between 2007 and 2023, approximately 85 different research studies combining theoretical and experimental aspects. After that, 61 papers were selected from among them and analyzed. The results revealed six main categories that influence the acceptance and adoption of open-source software. The study recommends developing a comprehensive model that integrates all behavioral, social, cultural, and technical dimensions to identify the factors influencing the acceptance and adoption of open-source software. The study also emphasizes the need for future empirical research in the Yemeni context, especially in public and educational sectors, to validate the integrated framework, and provide evidence-based policy recommendations for effective OSS adoption.

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Sumaia A. Al-Edresi
Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Computer and Information Technology, Sana’a University, Sana’a, Yemen
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Adnan Y. Al-Mutawakkil
Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Computer Sciences and IT, Sana’a University, Sana’a, Yemen.
Sumaia A. Al-Edresi (Department of Information Technology, Faculty of Computer and Information Technology, Sana’a University, Sana’a, Yemen)

Master's student - Sana'a University - College of Computer and Information Technology
Department of Information Technology

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Factors Influencing the Acceptance and Adoption of Open-Source Software: A Concept-Centric Systematic Literature Review. (2026). Sana’a University Journal of Applied Sciences and Technology, 4(5), 2139-2165. https://doi.org/10.59628/jast.v4i5.2201

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