-------- Original-Nachricht -------- Betreff: [AISWorld] General Theories of Software Engineering, Special Issue in Elsevier's Science of Computer Programming, Second Call for Contributions Datum: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 06:20:36 +0200 Von: Pontus Johnson pontusj@ics.kth.se An: AISWORLD Information Systems World Network aisworld@lists.aisnet.org

Science of Computer Programming, published by Elsevier Science (http://www.elsevier.com/)

Special Issue on General Theories of Software Engineering (see also http://semat.org/?page_id=937)

Submission deadline: October 14, 2013

Most academic disciplines emphasize the importance of their general theories. Examples of general theories include the Big Bang theory, Maxwell?s equations, the theory of the cell, the theory of evolution, the theory of demand and supply, but among the general theories are also found theories with names such as the general theory of crime and the theory of marriage, both well-established within their respective fields. Few general theories of software engineering have, however, been proposed, and none have achieved significant recognition. The main consequence of a lack of theory is a craft, limited to problem solving by trial-and-error and rules-of-thumb and in most cases only related to a limited area of relevance. Its knowledge base cannot be used for other than the most rudimentary predictions. This, in turn, means that its innovations can only be tested in vivo, which in addition to providing only little general insight can be both expensive and painful. The long list of well-known software failures is a testament to the tradition of trial-and-error. Theory addresses this problem, because a theory is a system of rules that explain the real world at some appropriate level of abstraction, but cheaply and without pain. Theory can provide answers to questions that otherwise might be prohibitively expensive or impossible to give. A general theory of software engineering would ideally advise against costly error before the trial begins.

This special issue, organized by the SEMAT initiative, aims to provide a forum for discussing the concept of a general theory of software engineering. The topics considered include the benefits, the desired qualities, the core components and the form of a general theory. Explicit proposals of general theories of software engineering are equally welcome. The special issue follows the publication of an article with the title ?Where is the Theory for Software Engineering?? in September/October 2012 issue of IEEE Software, as well as two SEMAT Workshops on a General Theory of Software Engineering (GTSE 2012 [http://semat.org/?page_id=561] and 2013 [http://semat.org/?page_id=760]), the most recent in conjunction with the ICSE.

Manuscripts can be submitted in pdf format online at https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=sigtse2013. All papers will be reviewed by at least three expert reviewers. For the subsequent copy-ready formatting, Elsevier strongly prefers LaTeX. However, MS WORD of ASCII documents can also be processed. Further information is available at the journal homepage, http://www.journals.elsevier.com/science-of-computer-programming/.

Science of Computer Programming is indexed in all major databases. Its 5-year impact factor is currently 0.982.

For more information, please contact one of the guest editors:

Pontus Johnson (main contact) KTH Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm, Sweden pontus@ics.kth.se mailto:pontus@ics.kth.se

Michael Goedicke University of Duisburg-Essen Essen, Germany michael.goedicke@paluno.uni-due.de mailto:michael.goedicke@paluno.uni-due.de

Mathias Ekstedt KTH Royal Institute of Technology Stockholm, Sweden mathiase@ics.kth.se mailto:mathiase@ics.kth.se

Ivar Jacobson Ivar Jacobson International Verbier, Switzerland ivar@ivarjacobson.com mailto:ivar@ivarjacobson.com