PROFES 2025
Mon 1 - Wed 3 December 2025 Salerno , Italy

Developers now routinely interact with large language models (LLMs) to support a range of software engineering (SE) tasks. This prominent role positions prompts as potential SE artifacts that, like other artifacts, may require systematic development, documentation, and maintenance. However, little is known about how prompts are actually used and managed in LLM-integrated workflows, what challenges practitioners face, and whether the benefits of systematic prompt management outweigh the associated effort. To address this gap, we propose a research programme that (a) characterizes current prompt practices, challenges, and influencing factors in SE; (b) analyzes prompts as software artifacts, examining their evolution, traceability, reuse, and the trade-offs of systematic management; and (c) develops and empirically evaluates evidence-based guidelines for managing prompts in LLM-integrated workflows. As a first step, we conducted an exploratory survey with 74 software professionals from six countries to investigate current prompt practices and challenges. The findings reveal that prompt usage in SE is largely ad-hoc: prompts are often refined through trial-and-error, rarely reused, and shaped more by individual heuristics than standardized practices. These insights not only highlight the need for more systematic approaches to prompt management but also provide the empirical foundation for the subsequent stages of our research programme.

Prompt as Software Engineering Artifacts: A Research Agenda and Preliminary Findings (PROFES-2025-Prompts.pdf)1.11MiB

Tue 2 Dec

Displayed time zone: Amsterdam, Berlin, Bern, Rome, Stockholm, Vienna change

11:30 - 13:00
Artificial Intelligence and Analytics in Software EngineeringIndustry Papers / Research Papers / Short Papers and Posters at Sala degli Affreschi (Fresco Room)
Chair(s): Antonio Martini University of Oslo, Norway
11:30
15m
Talk
Generating Business Process Models with Open Source Large Language Models using Instruction Tuning
Research Papers
Gökberk Çelikmasat Boğaziçi University, Atay Özgövde Boğaziçi University, Fatma Başak Aydemir Utrecht University
11:45
15m
Talk
Application of Large Language Models in Product Management: A Systematic Literature Review
Research Papers
Vitor Mori Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), Jan Bosch Chalmers University of Technology, Helena Holmström Olsson Malmö University
12:00
15m
Talk
Towards Understanding Team Congestion in Large-Scale Software Development
Research Papers
Javier Gonzalez-Huerta Blekinge Institute of Technology, Ehsan Zabardast Nordea / Blekinge Institute of Technology
File Attached
12:15
10m
Talk
A Small Dataset May Go a Long Way: Process Duration Prediction in Clinical Settings
Industry Papers
Harald Störrle QAware GmbH, Anastasia Hort QAware GmbH
File Attached
12:25
7m
Talk
Prompts as Software Engineering Artifacts: A Research Agenda and Preliminary Findings
Short Papers and Posters
Hugo Villamizar fortiss GmbH, Jannik Fischbach Netlight Consulting GmbH and fortiss GmbH, Alexander Korn University of Duisburg-Essen, Andreas Vogelsang paluno – The Ruhr Institute for Software Technology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Daniel Mendez Blekinge Institute of Technology and fortiss
DOI File Attached
12:32
7m
Talk
MAPS-AI – A Tool for AI-Assisted Model-Driven Generation of IT Project Plan and Scope
Short Papers and Posters
Oksana Nikiforova Riga Technical University, Rihards Bobkovs Riga Technical University, Megija Krista Miļūne Riga Technical University, Kristaps Babris Riga Technical University, Oscar Pastor Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Jānis Grabis Riga Technical University
12:39
7m
Talk
Cost of Artificial Intelligence in Finnish Software Companies: A Survey
Short Papers and Posters
Antti Klemetti University of Helsinki, Anssi Sorvisto University of Jyväskylä, Mikko Raatikainen University of Helsinki, Jukka K. Nurminen University of Helsinki
File Attached
12:46
7m
Talk
Exploring the Performance of ML Model Size for Classification in Relation to Energy Consumption
Short Papers and Posters
Andreas Bexell Ericsson, Lo Heander Lund University, Emma Söderberg Lund University, Sigrid Eldh Ericsson AB, Mälardalen University, Carleton University, Per Runeson Lund University
12:53
7m
Talk
On the Use of Agentic Coding Manifests: An Empirical Study of Claude Code
Short Papers and Posters
Worawalan Chatlatanagulchai Kasetsart University, Kundjanasith Thonglek Kasetsart University, Brittany Reid Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Yutaro Kashiwa Nara Institute of Science and Technology, Pattara Leelaprute Kasetsart University, Arnon Rungsawang Kasetsart University, Bundit Manaskasemsak Kasetsart University, Hajimu Iida Nara Institute of Science and Technology
File Attached