The Handbook of Peer Production

Peer production is a mode of commons-based and – ideally – commons-oriented production in which participation is voluntary and predicated on the self-selection of tasks. This decentralised organisational model, which does not rely on exclusive ownership and formal contracts, has in some cases surpassed traditional forms of production. Originally the Internet enabled millions of people to collectively produce and revise computer operating systems and applications, encyclopedia articles, and film and television databases. Today peer production is still associated to the digital commons in the case of wireless networks and online currencies, but also encompasses offline ventures such as shared machine shops and biohacking, amongst many others.

The Handbook of Peer Production outlines central concepts, examines current and emerging areas of application, and analyses the forms and principles of cooperation that continue to impact multiple areas of production and sociality. Featuring thirty chapters by an international and diverse team of experts in the field, this landmark work maps the origins and manifestations of peer production, discusses the factors and conditions that are enabling and co-opting it, and considers peer production projects’ current impacts and potential consequences for the social order. Detailed chapters address the governance, political economy, and cultures of peer production, as well as user motivations, social rules and norms, the role of peer production in social change and activism, and much more. Filling a gap in available literature as the only extensive overview of peer production’s modes of generating informational goods and services, this ground-breaking volume:

• Offers accessible, up-to-date information to both specialists and non-specialists across academia, industry, journalism, and public advocacy;
• Includes interviews with leading practitioners discussing the future of peer production;
• Critically assesses the histories, key debates, contradictions, and pioneers of peer production;
• Explores technologies for peer production, openness and licensing, peer learning, open design, and free and open-source software.

The Handbook of Peer Production is an indispensable resource for students, instructors, researchers, and professionals working in fields such as communication studies, science and technology studies, sociology, and management studies, as well as those interested in the network information economy, the public domain, and new forms of organisation and networking.