July 7-11, 2010, Irsee Monastery, Bavaria, Germany

Call for Papers

Download short version of Call for Papers as PDF [64 KB].

EuroPLoP is the premier European conference on patterns. 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 2010 will be held July 7-11, 2010 in the Irsee Monastery, 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. This year we will widen the traditional focus of EuroPLoP by including a new track on best practices that do not need to be in patterns form.

Papers submitted to EuroPLoP cover a wide range of subjects, from technical issues, like Java coding techniques, to social and organization issues such as environmental damage. In previous years, papers have clustered around subjects such as:

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.

Best practices papers

In the past, papers submitted to EuroPLoP had to be patterns, pattern languages or papers about how patterns are applied. Patterns are proven solutions to recurring problems. In addition, they also require a certain form to be used (one of the "pattern forms"). Generally, patterns are regarded as literature in the sense that the author makes sure that the text is readable, pleasing to the eye and well structured. This year we will also accept papers that remove one of the characteristics of patterns: the pattern form. We still expect well written, easily readable papers about best practices in software engineering, but they can be written, for example, as essays or in a more classical article or paper style. The reason for this additional track is that experience shows that sometimes pattern papers feel "artificial" in the sense that the content and writing style is very good, but forcing it into a pattern form does not seem to add to the paper. With this track, we want to provide more freedom for this kind of writing.

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 2009, participants attending the conference will be invited to propose additional focus groups for the final day of the conference which will be conducted in an open source format. Three focus groups will be accepted and scheduled prior to the conference start. Three more focus groups will be agreed by participants once the conference has started. These will be chosen from the remaining provisional accepted groups and additional ones proposed at the conference. The remaining provisional selection will be held until the conference begins. Participants will be given the opportunity to propose additional focus groups. The final selection will be made at the conference by the participants.

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.

The EuroPLoP proceedings are published after the conference.

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.

Submission Procedure

There is a three stage submission process:

  1. Initial submissions should be made by February 15, 2010. Papers will be assessed for suitability. Accepted papers are then assigned a shepherd who will help the author improve the paper for several weeks.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.

Important Dates

Conference Organization

Program Chair
Michael Weiss, Carleton University, Canada,
Conference Chair
Paris Avgeriou, University of Groningen, Netherlands,
Web Chair
Andreas Fießer, Independent, Germany,

Please report any problems with the website to weiss@sce.carleton.ca.