  Context: Given the acknowledged need to understand the people processes
enacted during software development, software repositories and mailing lists
have become a focus for many studies. However, researchers have tended to use
mostly mathematical and frequency-based techniques to examine the software
artifacts contained within them. Objective: There is growing recognition that
these approaches uncover only a partial picture of what happens during software
projects, and deeper contextual approaches may provide further understanding of
the intricate nature of software teams' dynamics. We demonstrate the relevance
and utility of such approaches in this study. Method: We use psycholinguistics
and directed content analysis (CA) to study the way project tasks drive teams'
attitudes and knowledge sharing. We compare the outcomes of these two
approaches and offer methodological advice for researchers using similar forms
of repository data. Results: Our analysis reveals significant differences in
the way teams work given their portfolio of tasks and the distribution of
roles. Conclusion: We overcome the limitations associated with employing purely
quantitative approaches, while avoiding the time-intensive and potentially
invasive nature of field work required in full case studies.
