Call for Papers

Welcome to SSBSE 2025

The 17th Symposium on Search-Based Software Engineering (SSBSE 2025) invites high-quality submissions that push the boundaries of research in Search-Based Software Engineering (SBSE). SSBSE 2025 will take place on November 16, 2025, in Seoul, South Korea, at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul, and is co-located with ASE 2025.

About SSBSE

Search-based Software Engineering (SBSE) is a research area focused on the formulation of software engineering problems as search problems, and the subsequent use of complex heuristic techniques to attain optimal solutions to such problems. We invite the submission of high-quality papers describing novel and original work in all areas of SBSE.

Topics of Interest

We aim to spotlight the transformative role of AI and optimization techniques in software engineering, while continuing to welcome innovative contributions across all areas of SBSE. We encourage submissions that:

• Apply SBSE techniques to novel and emerging problems, including those where SBSE has not been traditionally applied.
• Provide theoretical insights into search algorithms tailored for software engineering challenges.
• Offer rigorous empirical evaluations of SBSE methods, with reproducible experiments and datasets.
• Share industrial experiences, detailing real-world applications, challenges, and lessons learned from deploying SBSE techniques.

SSBSE embraces a wide spectrum of search methods, from exact operational research techniques to nature-inspired algorithms (e.g., evolutionary algorithms, simulated annealing, and swarm intelligence). We particularly welcome papers that integrate SBSE with advancements in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other cutting-edge technologies.

Submission Requirements

• Paper Length: Research papers must be up to 15 pages, including all text, figures, references, and appendices.
• Originality: Submissions must be original and not under consideration elsewhere.
• Format: Submissions must follow Springer’s LNCS format (see https://www.springer.com/gp/computer-science/lncs/conference-proceedings-guidelines).
• Review Process: All papers will undergo a rigorous double-anonymous peer review process.
• Anonymity: To ensure anonymity:
  • Omit author names and affiliations from the manuscript.
  • Write self-citations in the third person (e.g., “the work of XYZ” rather than “our previous work”).
  • Avoid URLs or references that reveal author identities.
• Supplementary Materials: Authors may submit supplementary materials (e.g., datasets or experimental results) as anonymized files. While supplementary materials are optional, they can enhance the reproducibility and impact of your work.

Important Dates (AoE - UTC-12h)

• Submission Deadline: Thursday, August 21, 2025
• Notification of Acceptance: Thursday, September 25, 2025
• Camera-Ready Deadline: Friday, October 3, 2025

Submission Portal

Submissions can be made via https://ssbse2025.hotcrp.com.

Presentation Requirement

If a paper is accepted, at least one author is expected to attend the symposium and present the paper.

Special Issue for Best Papers

Authors of the best papers will be invited to submit extended versions of their papers for a special issue on Advances and Applications in Search-Based Software Engineering in the Automated Software Engineering journal. Further details are available at: https://ause-journal.github.io/26ssbse.html.