Modeling is a key element in reducing the complexity of software systems during their development and maintenance. Model transformations are essential for elevating models from documentation elements to first-class artifacts of the development process. Transformations also play a key role in analyzing models to reveal conceptual flaws or highlight quality bottlenecks and in integrating heterogeneous tools into unified tool chains.

Model transformation includes approaches such as: model-to-text transformation, e.g., to generate code or other textual artifacts from models; text-to-model transformations, e.g., to derive models from structured text such as legacy code; and model-to-model transformations, e.g., to normalize, weave, analyze, optimize, simulate, and refactor models, as well as to translate between modeling languages.

Model transformation encompasses a variety of technical spaces, including modelware, grammarware, dataware, and ontoware, a variety of model representations, e.g., based on different types of graphs, and a variety of transformation paradigms including rule-based transformations, term rewriting, and manipulations of objects in general-purpose programming languages.

The study of model transformation includes foundations, structuring mechanisms, and properties, such as modularity, composability, and parameterization of transformations, transformation languages, techniques, and tools. An important goal of the field is the development of high-level model transformation languages, providing transformations that are amenable to higher-order model transformations or tailored to specific transformation problems.
The efficient execution of model queries and transformations by scalable transformation engines on top of large graph data structures is also a key challenge in different application scenarios. Novel algorithms as well as innovative (e.g., distributed) execution strategies and domain-specific optimizations are sought in this respect.

To achieve impact on software engineering in general, methodologies and tools are required to integrate model transformation into existing development environments and processes. ICMT is the premier forum for researchers and practitioners from all areas of model transformation.

Topics
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Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

Transformation paradigms and languages:
- graph rewriting, tree rewriting, attribute grammars
- rule-based, declarative, imperative, and functional
- textual, graphical
- model queries, pattern matching
- transformation by example/demonstration
- modularity, reusability, and composition
- comparison of transformation languages
- theoretical foundations
Transformation algorithms and strategies:
- bidirectional transformation
- incremental transformation
- scalability and optimization
- termination and confluence
- higher-order transformation
- transformation chains
- non-functional aspects of transformations
Development of transformations:
- specification, verification, and validation
- verification and validation (incl. testing, debugging, termination, confluence, metrics)
- evolution
- development processes
- tool support
- benchmarking of transformation engines
Applications and case studies:
- refactoring
- aspect weaving
- model comparison, differencing, and merging
- model synchronization and change propagation
- co-evolution of models, metamodels, and transformations
- round-trip/reverse/forward engineering
- industrial experience reports
- empirical studies

Submission Guidelines
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All contributions will be subject to a rigorous selection process by the international Program Committee. Each paper will be reviewed by at least 3 committee members. All submissions should follow the LNCS format (http://www.springer.com/computer/lncs?SGWID=0-164-6-793341-0).

Four kinds of submissions are elicited:
- Research papers: Up to 15 pages long.
- Application papers: Up to 15 pages long.
- Exploratory papers: Up to 10 pages long.
- Tool demonstration papers: Up to 7 pages long.

Research papers should describe novel and scientifically rigorous contributions to the model transformation field. Papers should clearly discuss how the results were validated.

Application papers should report on applications of model-transformation technology and should carefully identify and discuss important lessons learnt. Of special interest are experience papers that report on industrial applications of model transformation.

Exploratory papers should describe new, unconventional approaches related to the topics of interest of ICMT. Papers in this category should describe well-defined research ideas that fundamentally challenge established research directions and the current state of practice, but which are at an early stage of investigation and may not be fully evaluated yet.

Tool demonstration papers should describe novel tools or novel features of state-of-the-art tools, related to model transformation. Submissions should consist of two parts. The part will be included in the proceedings. The second part will not be included in the proceedings, but will be evaluated. The first part, no more than 7 pages, should describe the tool presented. Submissions that are supplemented by complete a completely configured environment (with all software and data pre-installed) will rank higher, since the research is then efficiently and reliably reproducible by reviewers and ICMT attendees. The PC chairs will facilitate creating and citing online virtual machines in SHARE [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2011.04.062] for that purpose. The second part, no more than 5 pages, should explain how the demonstration will be carried out (via screenshots and a link to a 5-10 minute-long screencast that demonstrates the use of the tool).

All papers should be submitted electronically via EasyChair:
https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=icmt2016

Mentoring Scheme
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Since 2015, ICMT offers a mentoring scheme through which prospective submitters can obtain early advice on the suitability, structure, and content of their papers. Through this scheme, senior members of the community (mentors) will provide authors with early feedback to help them align their submissions with the objectives and standards of ICMT. Please note that the mentoring scheme is only available for submissions led by an author who has not been involved in an ICMT publication in the past, and that the mentoring scheme will not interfere with the reviewing process (i.e., papers that have participated in the mentoring scheme will still be reviewed by three committee members in the reviewing phase).

Important dates (Mentoring Scheme)
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Draft submission: December 2, 2015
Feedback due: January 20, 2016

Authors wishing to participate in the mentoring scheme, should submit a draft of their papers by the above deadline via EasyChair: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=icmt2016

Publishing
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The conference proceedings will be published by Springer in Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS) series. Moreover, the best papers will get a special opportunity for publishing their extended papers in the Springer journal Software & Systems Modeling (SoSyM).

Organization
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PC Chairs
* Gregor Engels - Universität Paderborn (Germany)
* Pieter Van Gorp - University of Eindhoven (The Netherlands)

Steering Committee
* Jordi Cabot, INRIA, École des Mines de Nantes (France)
* Juan de Lara, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
* Davide Di Ruscio, University of L’Aquila (Italy)
* Keith Duddy, Queensland University of Technology (Australia)
* Martin Gogolla, University of Bremen (Germany)
* Jeff Gray, University of Alabama (USA)
* Zhenjiang Hu, National Institute of Informatics (Japan)
* Gerti Kappel, Vienna University of Technology (Austria)
* Richard Paige, University of York (UK)
* Alfonso Pierantonio, University of L’Aquila (Italy)
* Laurence Tratt, King’s College London (UK)
* Antonio Vallecillo, Universidad de Málaga (Spain)
* Dániel Varró, Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungary)
* Eelco Visser, Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands)

Contact
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Web: http://www.model-transformation.org
Email: icmt2016@easychair.org
Follow us on twitter: @icmt2016

Sincerely,
Pieter Van Gorp, Assistant Professor (UD)
Information Systems Group, School of Industrial Engineering
Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), The Netherlands
Phone: +31 40 247 2062, Skype: pvgorp, Fax: +31 40 243 2612
http://is.tm.tue.nl/staff/pvgorp/research/