ESELAW 2008 is a forum for researchers and practitioners to report on  and discuss new research results in Experimental Software Engineering, bringing together Latin America´s academic, industrial and commercial communities. The workshop encourages the exchange of ideas to understand the strengths and weaknesses of software engineering technologies, focusing on the process, design and structure of empirical studies, as well as on results from specific studies.
 
Since the 2007 edition we join efforts with the QualiPSso Project, a unique alliance of European, Brazilian and Chinese industry players, governments and academics to help industries and governments fuel innovation and competitiveness with Open Source software. QualiPSo is  the largest ever Open Source initiative funded by the European 
Commission, under EU´s sixth framework program (FP6), as part of the  Information Society Technologies (IST) initiative.
 
In this perspective, this edition of ESELAW also emphasizes three perspectives: Open Source, Agile Methods and Experimental Software Engineering. Contributions will be peer reviewed, and authors of  accepted papers will also be asked to prepare a poster for exposition  along the event.
 
The workshop will also include invited tutorials and short courses by leading researchers in the field, technical sessions with paper presentations; a panel; and a tool session that will run along the  event, in the form of standard poster presentations.
 
TOPICS OF INTEREST

	Empirical studies of software processes and products
	Evaluation and comparison of techniques and models (cost estimation,   analysis and design methods, testing)
	Reports on benefits derived from using specific technologies
	Development of predictive models
	Experiences with research methods: measurement theory, experimentaldesign, qualitative modeling, analysis approaches, grounded theory, protocol studies, families of experiments
	Development, derivation and/or comparison of organizational models of  software development Industrial experience in process improvement
	Quality measurement
	Process modeling and applications in industry
	Experience management
	Systematic reviews and evidence-based software engineering