[ecoop-info] Call for Papers - EuroPLoP 2011

[Paris Avgeriou]

CALL FOR PAPERS

EuroPLoP 2011
16th Conference on Pattern Languages of Programs
July 13-17, 2011
Irsee Monastery, Bavaria, Germany
http://www.hillside.net/europlop

Important Dates
- February 15, 2011: Paper submission deadline
- March 1, 2011: Start of shepherding
- April 19, 2011: Second draft due for review
- May 7, 2011: Paper acceptance notification
- May 23, 2011: Closing date for early registration
- June 15, 2011: End of shepherding
- June 22, 2011: Conference draft version due
- July 13-17, 2011: Conference
- December 2011: Proceedings version due

Proceedings published in the ACM Digital Library - 
http://portal.acm.org/ (approval pending).
Papers discussed at a writer's workshop at this conference qualify for 
submission to the new journal Transactions on Pattern Languages of 
Programming published by Springer.

EuroPLoP is the premier European conference on patterns about software 
and its creation. The conference offers a variety of workshops that 
allow you to learn about patterns, to receive feedback on your own work, 
and to discuss with fellow enthusiasts. It is a unique venue to exchange 
knowledge about best practices and learn from other experts in various 
fields.

EuroPLoP 2011 will be held July 13-17, 2011 in Bavaria, Germany. Join us 
for an experience that will combine outstanding technical events with a 
visit to the lovely Bavarian countryside.

EuroPLoP accepts papers containing patterns or pattern languages as well 
as experience reports and papers related to the theory and use of patterns.
Papers submitted to EuroPLoP cover a wide range of subjects, from 
technical issues, like Java coding techniques, to social and 
organization issues. In previous years, papers have clustered around 
subjects such as:

- Software development: design, architecture, management and processes
- Human computer interaction (user-interface aspects and novel modes of 
interaction)
- Pedagogy and education (both professional training and classroom teaching)
- Business and organizational questions

Submission Categories
Submissions should fall into one of the following categories:

Pattern papers
Short papers (5 to 10 pages) containing one or more patterns. Longer 
pattern languages or sequences and work-in-progress papers will also be 
considered for inclusion. All accepted papers will receive in-depth 
shepherding by an experienced pattern author before the conference. 
Papers may receive further shepherding at the conference itself.

Papers on applying patterns
Papers on the application of patterns in practice. The focus of these 
papers should be on applications of patterns in industrial projects, as 
well as on systematizing the application of patterns. They should 
stimulate a general discussion on how to disseminate the patterns 
literature more widely in higher education and training. This track 
hopes to provide visibility to research attempts for integrating 
patterns in software engineering industrial practices.

Focus group proposals
Focus groups are free-format discussion groups or workshops lasting 
approximately three hours. They are designed to bring together people 
who are interested in a challenging topic related to patterns or proven 
practices. Non-conventional ideas such as goldfish bowls are welcome. 
Focus Group proposals are invited in advance of the conference. Those 
submissions considered relevant and of sufficient quality will be 
provisionally accepted to the conference. As in the previous years, 
participants attending the conference will be invited to propose 
additional focus groups for the final day of the conference.

Conference Structure
The core of EuroPLoP is a series of writers' workshops where authors 
work together to improve their papers. Before patterns or other papers 
are accepted for a writers' workshop, they are shepherded 
(non-anonymously). This means that an experienced author will discuss 
your submission with you, so that you can refine your paper prior to the 
conference. All submissions will be peer-reviewed.

Post-shepherding papers may be accepted directly into a conference 
workshop, or into a writing group. Writing Group papers will receive 
additional face-to-face shepherding at the conference itself. Writing 
Group papers reaching the required standard will be considered for 
workshop review on the final day of the conference.

Shepherding
The shepherding process is essentially a reviewing process. Shepherds 
are individuals, with experience in pattern writing, assigned to an 
author's paper with the expressed interest in helping the author improve 
the pattern. Most Shepherds also have experience with the shepherding 
procedure, either having been a shepherd before or a sheep(an author).
Shepherding is about improving the pattern itself, while the Shepherd 
maintains that the author is the one doing the pattern writing. The 
shepherding process is done before the paper is to be presented at a 
conference. The Shepherd guides the sheep into a more mature 
understanding of his or her pattern.

Submission Procedure

There is a three stage submission process:

- Initial submissions should be made by February 15, 2011. Papers will 
be assessed for suitability. Accepted papers are then assigned a 
shepherd who will help the author improve the paper for several weeks.
- Half way through the shepherding process, on April 19, authors are 
expected to submit a second draft. The paper will be assessed for 
quality and the author's willingness to accept feedback considered. This 
review will determine whether a paper is accepted to the conference or not.
- Authors and shepherds are expected to continue working on the paper 
until June 15. Final drafts for the conference should be submitted on 
this date.
- Authors of accepted papers are expected to register for the conference 
before the close of early-bird registration on May 23. Failure to do so 
may result in acceptance being withdrawn. In the case of papers with 
multiple authors at least one author is expected to register to attend 
by the close of early bird registrations.

To submit your paper in the first instance, please visit the submission 
page on the EuroPLoP website (http://hillside.net/europlop). This page 
will be available in January.

Conference Organization
Program Chair: Paris Avgeriou, University of Groningen, Netherlands, 
paris at cs.rug.nl
Conference Chair: Andreas Fiesser, Germany, patterns at fiesser.de

For more information, please visit http://hillside.net/europlop.