About

The REFSQ Working Conference provide a forum for exchanging innovative ideas and approaches to successful requirements engineering (RE) amongst researchers and professionals.

The workshop program aims to enrich this forum with events focused on specific areas of RE. A workshop should provide benefits to the RE community along one or more of the following dimensions: innovativeness of the area, high potential for involving both industrial and research actors, influence on industrial practice, or addressing novel trends in software and RE at large.

The format of accepted workshops has flexibility, with both traditional and paperless options.

We particularly invite workshops related to the education and training track, collaborative workshops driven by industry or organizations with a strong practical focus, as well as workshops which touch on the conference theme.

Call for Workshop Proposals

The 2026 REFSQ call for workshop proposals encourages researchers and practitioners to organize events on the Monday of the conference to shed more light on specific topics related to RE. REFSQ welcomes both traditional and paperless workshops. Both workshop types should focus on topics that are interesting and relevant to the REFSQ community.

Traditional workshops involve paper presentations, discussions, and potentially further elements as proposed. These workshops will have papers published in the joint REFSQ workshop CEUR proceedings, unless specified otherwise in the workshop proposal. Typically, workshops in the traditional format focus on areas that are well-defined or are in the process of being defined.

Paperless workshops are typically more collaborative and discussion-oriented and will usually shape their structure and contents more flexibly. They do not strive for publishing submissions in proceedings and often assume the active participation of their attendees. This type of workshop can focus on newer, less well-defined REFSQ-related topics. For the paperless workshop type, we particularly welcome proposals from companies or other organizations that can contribute valuable industry perspectives to the community discussions. Industry-driven workshops could focus on practical issues relevant to the industry, addressing these topics through the participation of interested members of the REFSQ community.

We especially encourage workshop proposals for both traditional and paperless formats to consider their relationship to the REFSQ track on education and training in RE. In addition, in line with REFSQ’s general interest and the special 2026 theme: “Trustworthy and ethical systems via requirements engineering” we especially encourage submissions touching on the (non-exclusive) list of topics below.

Especially Invited Workshop Topics

• Community-driven educational workshops for researchers and/or practitioners to exchange good practices and experiences on topics such as research project management, prompt engineering, etc.
• Emerging Tools for RE, Research Prototypes in RE Research
• RE and Societal Impact
• RE for Social Good
• RE and Responsible Design
• RE Taking Moral, Social, Corporate, or Practical Responsibility
• RE in (Agile) Development Teams and Processes
• RE and Stakeholder Involvement and Co-Creation
• RE in Education and Training
• RE and Sustainability of and through Systems
• RE in Practice and Adoption in Industry
• The Role of Psychology and Human Factors in RE
• Designing for the User: RE in User Experience, User-Centered Design, and Design Thinking
• Ethical and Legal Considerations in RE
• Value-based RE for Individuals and Society
• RE and Privacy, Safety, Security, Trust, and Regulatory Compliance
• (Generative) AI, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) for RE
• RE for NLP, Machine Learning, and AI
• Requirements for Complex Systems such as Cyber-Physical Systems, Digital Ecosystems, Internet of Things, or Systems of Systems
• RE for Context Awareness, Dynamic and Self-Adaptive Systems
• RE for Cloud Computing, Blockchain, and Decentralization
• RE at Runtime, Complexity Handling, and Uncertainty Management
• Requirements Management through Prioritization, Traceability, and Measuring
• Software Product Management, Product Line RE, Requirements Reuse, and Scalability
• Evolution of Requirements
• Requirements Quality, Quality Assurance, Requirements Patterns, and Best Practices
• RE in Small and Medium-Sized Companies and Start-Ups
• Business Process Management and Model-Driven Requirements Engineering

Workshop Proposal Submissions

We accept workshop proposals detailing at least the following points:

1. Title of the workshop.
2. Name and contact information of the proposer(s).
3. Planned duration of the workshop (full-day or half-day).
4. A statement of the goals and motivation for the workshop.
5. A description of the topic(s) of the workshop and a list of related topics.
6. A brief outline of the workshop format (traditional vs. paperless) and the program, e.g., sessions for paper presentations, keynotes, breakout groups, panel-like discussions, or combinations. Paperless workshop proposals are expected to provide detailed descriptions and rationales for the program elements.
7. Outline of the paper submission and selection process for traditional workshops, acquisition strategy of outside contributions for paperless workshops (if applicable).
8. Publishing plans for the results, stating whether submissions will be published through CEUR proceedings or other means, or how outcomes of a paperless workshop are disseminated.
9. A description of the target audience and a plan detailing how the workshop will be advertised to acquire submissions and attract participants.
10. Anticipated number of participants, especially relevant information regarding already confirmed participation (note: paperless workshops are obliged to provide a list of confirmed participants).
11. A list of past editions of the workshop (if any), including dates, organizers, website, and attendance. Also, describe the differences from previous editions.
12. A short biography introducing and providing relevant experience of each workshop organizer.

For each workshop associated with REFSQ, the workshop organizing team should include at least one program chair who does not submit any paper to the workshop.

Submit your proposal via EasyChair in PDF format through EasyChair at: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=refsq2026. Make sure to select the “Workshops” track.

For any questions and clarifications, please contact: REFSQ26_WS@easychair.org

Important Dates

• 06 Oct 2025: Workshop Proposals Due
• 20 Oct 2025: Notification for Workshop Proposals
• 15 Jan 2026: Workshop Paper Submissions Due
• 14 Feb 2026: Workshop Paper Authors’ Notification
• 21 Feb 2026: Workshop Camera-ready Submissions
• 23 Mar 2026: Workshop

CreaRE - 13th International Workshop on Creativity in Requirements Engineering

Creativity is key to identifying innovative and “delighter” requirements that surprise and delight users, beyond basic functional needs. The CreaRE workshop explores methods like Design Thinking and the integration of AI with human teams to foster creativity and innovation in Requirements Engineering. This workshop provides a platform for discussing and applying creative techniques in RE, with a focus on their applicability in different domains and the opportunities brought by AI and multimedia trends. The workshop includes interactive sessions, mini-tutorials, and research presentations, offering participants hands-on experiences and opportunities for collaboration.

Organizers:

• Maya Daneva, University of Twente, The Netherlands
• Andrea Herrmann, Herrmann & Ehrlich, Germany
• Patrick Mennig, Fraunhofer IESE, Germany

Website: https://creare.iese.de

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J4RE!+PwM - Justice for Requirements Engineering! + Playing with Meanings

The goal of the workshop is to explore the role of RE in ensuring just software development. This workshop will unfold in three parts: (i) J4RE!+PwM3 will facilitate the presentation and discussion of relevant works addressing the topic of Justice in Requirements Engineering. (ii) Second, a participatory session will follow up with a discussion and first outline of a group authored article on the topic, and (iii) third, a Playing with Meanings (PwM) session will wrap up the workshop, wherein together we will introspect on the concept of justice through ontology-based group modelling games, exploring both established and experimental game and play activities for participatory sensemaking, and discussing their potential value as tools for participatory practices towards Justice for Requirements Engineering.

Organizers:

• Max Willis, Valencian Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain
• Greta Adamo, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy

Website: https://humanfactorsinsemantics.net/J4RE_PwM3.html

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NLP4RE - 9th Workshop on Natural Language Processing for Requirements Engineering

NLP is essential for handling textual requirements in software engineering, addressing challenges like traceability, classification, and compliance. This workshop explores the application of NLP technologies, including large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI, to support and enhance requirements engineering practices. NLP4RE fosters collaboration among researchers and practitioners, with a focus on advancing NLP and LLM-based tools for RE tasks. The workshop covers topics like agent-based support, ethical considerations, and integrating NLP in RE education. It includes research presentations, tool demos, and discussions.

Organizers:

• Jacek Dąbrowski, Lero, the Research Ireland Centre for Software, Ireland
• Fabiano Dalpiaz, Utrecht University, The Netherlands
• Farnaz Fotrousi, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Sweden
• Quim Motger, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain

Website: https://nlp4re.github.io/2026/

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PURE - 1st International Workshop on Participatory User-Centric RE

In today’s rapidly evolving software development landscape, fulfilling user-centered qualities such as a positive user experience and inclusivity is crucial. These objectives can only be achieved when users’ needs, values, and expectations are met — or even exceeded. Our workshop, “Participatory User-Centered Requirements Engineering” (PURE) aims to explore the integration of user participation with requirements engineering. We focus on prioritizing human needs and empathy within the RE process, ensuring that the solutions developed truly resonate with and serve the users effectively."

Organizers:

• Hannah Deters, Leibniz University Hannover, Software Engineering Group, Germany
• Jakob Droste, Leibniz University Hannover, Software Engineering Group, Germany
• Anne Hess, Technical University of Applied Sciences Würzburg-Schweinfurt, Germany
• Elisa Schmid, Leibniz University Hannover, Software Engineering Group, Germany

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/pure26

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RE-OpenS - 1st Interactive Workshop on the Promotion of Open Science in Requirements Engineering

Open science is key to addressing the replication crisis and fostering transparency, accessibility, and replicability in requirements engineering research. RE-OpenS introduces researchers to REFSQ’s Open Science Initiative and empowers them to apply open science best practices, infrastructures, services, and tools in their work. RE-OpenS is a half-day, paperless, and interactive workshop designed to turn open science into a practical experience. It includes a theoretical session on REFSQ’s Open Science Track, Policy, and Competition, followed by two hands-on exercises using SciKGTeX, ORKG, and ORKG Ask. Participants will annotate FAIR publications and create ORKG comparisons to enhance the visibility and reusability of research. A feedback session will gather community input to shape future editions of RE-OpenS and refine REFSQ’s Open Science Initiative.

Organizers:

• Oliver Karras, TIB – Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology, Germany
• Lena John, TIB – Leibniz Information Centre for Science and Technology, Germany
• Tobias Hey, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
• Katharina Großer, University of Koblenz, Germany

Website: https://re-opens.github.io/ws-2026/

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RE4AI - 7th International Workshop on Requirements Engineering for Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is increasingly integrated into software and hardware systems, from everyday objects to complex systems like unmanned vehicles, to agentic AI. Capturing and validating “the right” requirements for such AI systems has become crucial for developing systems that are ethical, lawful, and robust. The RE4AI Workshop aims to raise awareness of RE’s role in AI development, facilitate research dissemination, foster collaboration between AI practitioners and RE experts and inspire new ideas. This workshop will include invited talks on cutting-edge topics related to RE for AI, and discussions on pain-points, which are experienced when putting AI solutions in practice, from an RE perspective. If you are interested in giving a talk on RE for AI, and will be attending REFSQ in person, please contact the workshop organizers with information about yourself and your proposed topic.

Organizers:

• Jennifer Horkoff, Chalmers | University of Gothenburg, Sweden
• Anna Perini, Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), Italy
• Angelo Susi, Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), Italy

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/re4ai/home