XP is the premier Agile software development conference combining research and practice. It is a unique forum where Agile researchers, practitioners, thought leaders, coaches, and trainers get together to present and discuss their most recent innovations, research results, experiences, concerns, challenges, and trends. Whether you are new to Agile or a seasoned Agile practitioner, XP 2021 will provide an informal environment to learn and trigger discussion.

2021 marks 20 years since the publication of the Agile Manifesto, making it a good time to reflect on the past, the present and the future of Agile. The strength of XP is the way it enables conversations and the exchange of ideas between academics and industry practitioners. After the challenges of 2020 and during these times of great change it is as important as ever for us to come together and share what we have learnt over the last year. The conference will run online for a second year which gives us the opportunity to reach out to a global and diverse audience, and we particularly welcome proposals from new contributors and new perspectives. So, we encourage contributions from regular attendees and newcomers, and look forward to meeting old and new friends in June 2021.

Location

Online

Submissions

Submissions solicited below will be reviewed by the program committee based on relevance, significance, rigor, novelty, replicability, and quality. In some cases, submissions that have been accepted will be subject to shepherding by a designated committee member.

• Research Workshops [Research workshop proposal submission deadline January 29]. We invite full or half-day scientific workshop proposals on Agile related topics, to discuss or present results of research and practice. We welcome both already existing well-known workshops and new cutting-edge workshops in innovative topics. If there is a topic relevant to the topics of the XP conference that you feel passionate about and you want to connect with others who have similar interests, you should consider submitting a proposal to organize a workshop.
• Experience Reports [Experience Reports proposal submission deadline February 28]. This is an opportunity to share practical experience through a paper and an accompanying talk. An experience report is a reflection of personal industry experiences including challenges seen, approaches taken – and what worked or didn’t. Submit an proposal with a brief unpublished experience. Accepted proposals will be shepherded. Experience reports are reviewed papers which will be published on the Agile Alliance website.
• Research Papers [Abstracts due February 26| Submission deadline March 5]. We invite submissions of unpublished high-quality research papers, full (15 pages) and short (8 pages), related to Agile and Lean software development. Submissions addressing topics across the full spectrum of Agile software development, broadly on Agile, on issues of concern to researchers or practitioners or both are welcomed.
• Lightning Talks [Submission deadline March 31]. These are very short talks about experiences, opinions, or ideas on Agile topics. They can be used to generate inspiration, discussion, or as wake-up calls.
• Posters [Submission deadline May 3]. These are an excellent opportunity to present recent research or practice ideas, findings, experiences, and challenges across agile and lean software development.
• Gamification & Facilitation [Submission deadline April 08] Our theme for this year is on Gamification and Facilitation Techniques for cultivating and fostering Innovation, Collaboration, Hyper-Productivity, Employee Engagement, Agile Adoption/Transformation/Sustenance, Continuous Improvement, Actionable Retrospection, Purposeful Reporting especially in a remote setting.
• Industry & Practice Sessions [Submission deadline April 08]. Our theme for the year is how the software industry can adapt technical practices and software development techniques to help technical practitioners manage their stress levels. This is a broad theme that encompasses everything from how we design maintainable code through to effective collaboration when working from home.
• Empirical Studies [Submission deadline April 30] The XP Conference offers a rare opportunity to conduct empirical studies with attendees of the conference and collect high-quality empirical data. Researchers are invited to submit their research plans for conducting empirical studies engaging conference participants.