Self-study
Commentator: In academic scholarship, sources are always cited, and methodology and theoretical assumptions are set out, so as to allow critical study, replication, and expansion of scholarship. In open-source software, the code in which the program is written can be viewed and modified by individual users for their purposes without getting permission from the producer or paying a fee. In contrast, the code of proprietary software is kept secret, and modifications can be made only by the producer, for a fee. This shows that open-source software better matches the values embodied in academic scholarship, and since scholarship is central to the mission of universities, universities should use only open-source software.
14.
The commentator's reasoning most closely conforms to which one of the following principles?
a
Whatever software tools are most advanced and can achieve the goals of academic scholarship are the ones that should alone be used in universities.
This doesn’t match the commentator’s reasoning, because the commentator never considers whether different software tools are more advanced or more able to achieve certain goals.
b
Universities should use the type of software technology that is least expensive, as long as that type of software technology is adequate for the purposes of academic scholarship.
The commentator’s reasoning doesn’t conform to this idea, because the commentator’s reasoning doesn’t place any particular value on software being less expensive.
c
Universities should choose the type of software technology that best matches the values embodied in the activities that are central to the mission of universities.
Open-source software better matches the values of scholarship, which is central to universities’ mission. So, applying this, we see that universities should use open-source software. The commentator follows the same pattern of reasoning, thus conforming to this principle.
d
The form of software technology that best matches the values embodied in the activities that are central to the mission of universities is the form of software technology that is most efficient for universities to use.
This principle diverges from the commentator’s reasoning, which never considers how efficient different types of software might be.
e
A university should not pursue any activity that would block the achievement of the goals of academic scholarship at that university.
The commentator never mentions the possibility that any particular activity could block the goals of academic scholarship, meaning that the commentator’s reasoning does not follow this principle.