Call for Papers

Important dates

• Deadline for Paper Submission: 8 July 2016 Extended to 18 July
  
• Shepherding Starts: 25 July 2016
• Shepherd recommendations due: 26 September 2016
• Notification of Acceptance: 7 October 2016
• Final Conference Copy Due: 17 October 2016
• Conference Dates: 16-18 November 2016

The Conference

Software developers have long observed that certain patterns recur and endure across different applications and systems. The growing interest in patterns represents an effort to catalog and better communicate knowledge, providing handbooks of proven solutions to common problems. The purpose of SugarLoafPLoP is to discuss patterns on all aspects of software, including design and programming, software architecture, user interface design, domain modeling, software processes, project management, and more.

SugarLoafPLoP brings together researchers, educators, and practitioners whose interests span a remarkably broad range of topics and who share an interest in exploring the power of the pattern form. SugarLoafPLoP invites you to add your expertise to the growing corpus of patterns.

The conference is not traditional—the main event is a set of Writers’ Workshops where you will have the opportunity to refine and extend your patterns with the help from knowledgeable and sympathetic fellow pattern enthusiasts. You will also be able to discuss applications of patterns in industry and academia. Highlights of the conference include writer’s workshops, tutorials, invited speakers, writing groups and more.

Submissions

Submissions to SugarLoafPLoP’16 – Tango Edition are invited in two different tracks:

• Pattern Papers – short papers (5-10 pages) containing one or more patterns; or longer papers (no actual limit, but consult us if you have more than 20 pages) containing pattern languages. All accepted papers receive in-depth shepherding by an experienced pattern author before the conference. At the conference, pattern papers participate in a writers’ workshop in the traditional PLoP format.

• Papers on Applying Patterns – regular papers (up to 16 pages) that explore the use and application of patterns, such as using patterns in industry and academia, tools for using patterns, evaluation of productivity when using patterns, teaching and consulting with patterns, and so on. Both practitioners from the software industry and academics are invited to submit to this track.

Suggested topic areas of interest for new patterns and pattern languages include, but are not limited to:

• innovation
• business models and operation
• requirements and analysis
• architecture and design
• programming and refactoring
• user interaction design
• software testing and maintenance
• process and organisational management
• pedagogy and education
• communication

• Initial submissions are assessed for suitability. Papers judged suitable are assigned a shepherd who will help its authors improve the paper. Shepherding is an iterative process, where an experienced author discusses the submission with its authors to refine the paper prior to the conference.
• Authors are expected to submit a second draft part way through the shepherding process. After shepherding, each paper will be assessed for quality and its authors’ willingness to accept feedback. This review will determine whether a paper is accepted to the conference.
• Authors and shepherds are expected to continue until the final drafts are due.

To submit your paper, please visit: http://hillside.net/sugarloafplop/2016/submission. The final version of the paper should be submitted in the PDF format (produced on a high resolution output device) on letter paper size (8 1/2″ x 11″) following the ACM single column format. Initial submissions that don’t follow the format will be accepted, but the last version should follow the templates to be published on the ACM library. ACM single column templates are available in Word and LaTex:

• Single column format Word template: Single Column Template
• Single column format TeX template: TeX Template

All submissions are peer-reviewed after shepherding.

Following shepherding, papers may be accepted directly into a Writers’ Workshop or alternatively, into a Writing Group. Writing Group papers will receive additional face-to- face shepherding at the conference. Writing Group papers reaching a required standard will be considered for workshop review on the final day of the conference.

At least one of the authors of accepted papers are expected to register for the conference before the close of earlybird registration. Failure to do so may result in acceptance being withdrawn. SugarLoafPLoP proceedings are published after the conference through the ACM Digital Library. Papers published at writer’s workshop track at this conference are qualified for submission to the journal “Transactions on Pattern Languages of Programming” published by Springer. See http://hillside.net/patterns/tplop and http://www.springer.com/home/computer/lncs?SGWID=5-164-2-470309-0 for details of this journal.

Shepherding process

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.

Near the end of the shepherding, Shepherds must submit their recommendations to the Program Committee members, which then decide about its acceptance to the part of a writer’s workshop of the conference. After accepted, authors and shepherds can continue evolving the papers to produce the conference draft version.

For a more in-depth description of this reviewing process typical of PLoP’s, visit “The Language of Shepherding” (PDF) written by Neil Harrison.

All the papers submitted and accepted to be shepherded for PLoP are available for Program Committee members, shepherds, and authors.

Organization

General Chair:

Federico Balaguer (LIFIA/UNLP, Argentina)

Program Chairs:

Alejandra Garrido (LIFIA/UNLP – CONICET, Argentina)
Rosana Teresinha Vaccare Braga (ICMC/USP, Brazil)

Conference Chairs:

Claudia Pons (LIFIA/UNLP – UAI, Argentina)
Gabriela Arévalo (UNQ, Argentina)

Program Committee

Alejandro Fernandez  (Lifia/UNLP, Argentina)
Alfredo Goldman (IME/USP, Brazil)
Andres Fortier  (Ekumen, Argentina)
Antonio Terceiro (Linaro, Brazil)
Ayla Dantas Rebouças (UFPB/Brazil)
Christina von Flach Garcia Chavez  (DCC-UFBA, Brazil)
Daniel Cukier (USP/Playax, Brazil)
Eduardo Fernandez  (Florida Atlantic University, USA)
Eduardo Guerra  (INPE, Brazil)
Eugene Wallingford (University of Northern Iowa, USA)
Fabio F. Silveira (UNIFESP, Brazil)
Fabio Kon  (CCSL-IME-USP, Brazil)
Fernando Das Neves  (Snoop, Argentina)
Fernando Lyardet (The Urban Institute, Germany)
Gustavo Rossi (Lifia/UNLP, Argentina)
Javier Gonzalez-Sanchez (Arizona State University Tempe, USA)
Jerffeson Teixeira de Souza  (UECE, Brazil)
Joseph W. Yoder  (The Refactory, Inc, USA)
Maria Elena Chavez-Echeagaray (Arizona State University Tempe, USA)
Maurício Aniche  (IME-USP, Brazil)
Milene Serrano (UNB, Brazil)
Paulo Meirelles (FGA-UnB, Brazil)
Rebecca Wirfs-Brock  (Wirfs-Brock Associates, USA)
Richard Gabriel (IBM Research, USA)
Robert Hanmer  (Nokia, USA)
Rossana Andrade (UFC, Brazil)
Sérgio Soares (UFPE, Brazil)
Takashi Iba  (Keio University, Japan)
Tiago Massoni (DSC/UFCG, Brazil)
Uirá Kulesza (DIMAP/UFRN, Brazil)