General talk about software patterns

[Paris Avgeriou <paris AT cs.rug.nl>]

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.