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Information about theme issues

Starting in 2006, SoSyM will occasionally publish theme issues. A theme issue contains scientific papers that all focus on a highly- relevant and important topic in the area of software and system modeling. One or two editors are responsible for putting a theme issue together. We expect the editors to publish an open call for paper and actively solicit a number of respected researchers and practitioners from that area to submit papers. A potential source of prospective submitters is a conference or a high quality workshop that covers the desired theme. The theme editors (who may be the conference or workshop organizers) can invite the authors of the best papers in the conference or workshop to submit an extended and substantially enhanced version of their paper by a certain deadline and also run an open call for articles. Under the supervision of the theme editors the submitted papers will be rigorously reviewed and the accepted papers will be published in the theme issue.

Requirements: The theme editors, their relatives, and their current research collaborators must not submit papers to be published in the theme issue. Papers that were published in a respected conference before need to be considerably enhanced and extended and the differences have to be made clear in the article.

If you are interested in editing a theme issue for the SoSyM journal, please contact the Editors-in-Chief.

Currently theme issues planned or in progress:
  • Theme Section on Model-Driven Web Engineering (Editors: Geert-Jan Houben, Nora Koch, Gustavo Rossi, and Antonio Vallecillo): CfP
  • Theme Section on Model Based Interoperability (Editors: Tony Clark and Jorn Bettin): CfP
  • Non-functional System Properties in Domain Specific Modeling Languages (Editors: Bernhard Schätz, Claus Pahl, Dragan Gasevic, and Marko Boskovic): CfP
  • Modeling reactive Systems / Matlab-based approaches (Editor: N.N.)

Editors-in-Chief Contact Information

Bernhard Rumpe

  • Voice:  +49-241-80-21301
  • Email: Bernhard.Rumpe @ sosym.org
  • German Mail:
    Department of Computer Science 3
    RWTH Aachen University
    Ahornstraße 55
    D-52074 Aachen, Germany

Robert France

  • Voice: (970) 491-6356, Fax: (970) 491-2466
  • Email: france@cs.colostate.edu
  • U.S. Mail:
    Computer Science Department
    Colorado State University
    Fort Collins, CO 80523-1873, USA

Outline of Submission/Review Process for Theme Issues:

  1. Interested editors submit a SoSyM theme issue proposal, containing information about the contents, the paper solicitation process, a draft Call for Papers, and authors that will be invited to submit papers.
    Provided documents:
  2. If there is a related conference or workshop, then the following has to be described: the conference or workshop and its review process (e.g. acceptance rate, total number of papers), the number of potential papers including titles and authors, a proposed schedule and other helpful information. Papers accepted to the conference or workshop must have been through a thorough review process prior to their acceptance.
  3. Deadlines must be defined. A useful pattern is given below (x is in weeks):

    x-30 CfP for a SoSyM theme issue, candidates are papers with smaller versions already published in the conference/workshop.
    x-21 Papers are submitted to SoSyM via the automated tool, Manuscript Central. The paper type is 'special section paper' and the Editor-in-Chief (EiC) is Bernhard Rumpe. Authors also indicate that the theme editor is the preferred editor, and note that the paper is being submitted to the particular theme issue. Beforehand a complete list of titles and authors of all expected papers is sent to the EiC.
    x-20 Reviews are assigned by Program Committee Chair (who serves as editor of the theme issue), via Manuscript Central (necessary review time: 6-7 weeks) to reviewers.
    x-13 Check status of reviews; reminders are sent if necessary to the editors, who send them on to reviewers.
    x-6 Reviews/acknowledgements are sent to authors by the Editor-in-Chief.
    x-2 Final versions arrive at SoSyM, via Manuscript Central (usually only minor changes can be handled in that time. Major revisions need extra time for another round of reviews.)
    x Editor or reviewers re-review minor changes and editor gives approval. Paper ordering in the theme issue is decided.
    x Editorial arrives from Program Committee Chair.
    x Additional information arrives to SoSyM: Final submission of each paper, author biographies, etc.

  4. The CfP is published.
  5. The papers (as well as the reviews later) are submitted via the automated tool, Manuscript Central.
  6. The theme editors act as supervisors for the papers. They assign at least three reviewers to each paper. These are acknowledged by the Editors-in-Chief. The theme editors also make the final recommendation. The editors can recommend that a paper be accepted (with or without minor revisions), rejected or resubmitted for another review after a major revision. The final decision is made by the Editor-in-Chief and he notifies the paper's contact author with the result of the review process, including reviewers' comments.
  7. The review process for theme papers doesn't differ from the regular process, but the reviewers for the theme papers can come from the program committee of a conference or workshop related to the theme issue.