[ecoop-info] CFP Semantic-Based Software Development

[Sergio de Cesare]

*** Call for Papers ***

International Workshop on
Semantic-Based Software Development
(http://www.fluidbusiness.org/events/oopsla2007.htm)

at the ACM OOPSLA 2007 Conference
(http://www.oopsla.org/oopsla2007/)
Montreal, Canada
October 22, 2007


OVERVIEW

Software systems are intrinsically complex from a number of  
perspectives. The level of complexity is increasing due to the  
growing need to integrate different and diverse systems in order to  
achieve organizational goals (evolving toward ecosystems as an  
ideal). Effective integration may be argued as important as, from a  
knowledge-based perspective of organizations, the effectiveness of  
services rendered by resources depends upon how they are combined and  
applied. Consequently, systems development and re-engineering must  
focus on ways of dealing with the complexity of modern software  
systems in an effective manner. Since software systems, in essence,  
model real world phenomena, it is necessary to adopt modeling and  
development techniques founded on semantics. Broadly speaking,  
semantics enable the precise mapping between complex real world  
phenomena and their modeled counterparts and/or enable the (dynamic)  
mapping/integration between different representations (and  
understandings) of real world phenomena.

In recent years, ontologies have emerged as the prime focus of  
semantic modeling, with the main focus on the development of  
representation languages and the resulting ontologies. Limited work  
has been carried out within the software engineering community in  
relation to the development of semantic-based systems – though  
research into the modeling, alignment and evolution of ontologies has  
progressed significantly among the Semantic Web community. It would  
seem plausible that languages, tools and techniques developed to  
achieve the objectives of the Semantic Web could be integrated within  
the software development process as a means to produce more flexible  
and adaptive systems. Numerous challenges exist however, as the  
development of semantic-based systems will have to manage things that  
exist (ontology), specific organizational knowledge of what exists  
(epistemology) and the required organizational action (pragmatics).  
With that in mind, this workshop aims to bring together researchers  
and practitioners with diverse cultural and professional backgrounds  
in order to discuss and analyze the different perspectives, issues  
and challenges of Semantic-Based Systems Development. Researchers and  
practitioners are invited to provide contributions in the form of  
research, case study or position papers (max. 10 pages) related to  
the workshop theme. Topics include, but are not limited to the  
following:

     * Ontological modeling paradigms
     * Development approaches for semantic-based systems (e.g.,  
methods, process and tool support)
     * Resolution of semantic mismatches
     * Persisting semantic models
     * Automated ontology generation and management
     * Ontology languages (e.g., RDF, OWL and UML)
     * Ontological engineering
     * Semantic Web services
     * Mapping of semantic models with system models
     * Extracting (business) semantics from legacy systems
     * Semantic transformation, hence semantic discovery and semantic  
improvement
     * Visual modelling of semantic models
     * Navigation through semantic models
     * Methods and techniques for doing any of the above


IMPORTANT DATES

Intent to submit (optional): 				Any time
Paper submission deadline:   				August 20, 2007
Notification to authors:					At least one week prior to early bird  
registration deadline (tba)
Submission of revised papers:  			October 1, 2007
Accepted papers uploaded on Web site:  	October 8, 2007
Workshop:							October 22, 2007


SUBMISSION

Authors are invited to submit papers by e-mail to Sergio de Cesare  
(sergio.decesare at brunel.ac.uk), the workshop's primary contact .  
Submissions can be in the form of research (or research in progress),  
case study or position papers. The maximum page length limit is 10  
pages. Papers can be submitted in RTF, MS Word or Open Office  
formats. Authors should submit papers according to the LNCS style  
templates available at  http://www.springer.com/sgw/cda/frontpage/ 
0,11855,5-164-2-72376-0,00.html. This template is adopted in order to  
provide consistency across workshop papers.


PROGRAM

  The final workshop program will be available at least two weeks  
prior to the workshop. Generally speaking the workshop will follow  
these phases:

    1. Presentation of reviewed papers followed by discussion and  
questions;
    2. Participants will be divided into groups of interest to  
discuss specific subtopics emerging from the previous phase;
    3. General discussion of points drawn by the groups in phase two
    4. Conclusion

All of the above phases are aimed at stimulating creativity and  
discussion among the participants. Further goals related to the above  
discussion are to:

     * Identify key obstacles in relation to Semantic Based Software  
Development;
     * Improve the State-of-the-Art in Semantic Based Software  
Development;
     * Instigate collaborative research efforts among the participants.


INFORMATION FOR ATTENDEES

At least one author of each accepted paper will be expected to  
register for the conference and attend the workshop. Workshop  
participation is not restricted only to authors of accepted papers.  
Any researcher or practitioner interested in the Semantic Based  
Software Development can participate subject to registration.

Registration of workshop participants has to be done in two mandatory  
steps:

    1. Contact the organizers of the workshop (in order to ensure  
that the participant limit has not been exceeded
    2. Register on the OOPSLA 2007 web site.


ORGANIZERS

Sergio de Cesare (Brunel University, U.K.)
Grant Holland (Sun Microsystems, U.S.A.)
Carsten Holtmann (Karlsruhe University, Germany)
Mark Lycett (Brunel University, U.K.)