The Doctoral Consortium will take place in conjunction with the 4th International Conference on Software and Data Technologies (ICSOFT), to be held on July 26-29 in Sofia, Bulgaria. The ICSOFT 2009 Doctoral Consortium will provide an opportunity for graduate students to explore their research interests in an interdisciplinary workshop, under the guidance of a panel of distinguished experts in the field.
The Doctoral Consortium on Software and Data Technologies is intended to bring together Ph.D. students within the software and data technologies field to discuss their research in an international forum. The Doctoral Consortium will provide students with an opportunity to:

• Present their research work in a relaxed and supportive environment
• Receive feedback and suggestions from peers and experienced faculty
• Gain an overview of the breadth and depth of software and data technologies research
• Obtain insight into directions for software and data technologies research taken by other doctoral candidates
• Discuss concerns about research, supervision, the job market, and other issues
• Network with peers and future colleagues

Thus, the symposium will help shape ongoing and future research projects aimed at software and data technologies, will promote scholarship and networking among new researchers in this emerging interdisciplinary area, and will expose these promising young researchers to the larger global community.

DOCTORAL CONSORTIUM REQUIREMENTS AND RULES
The Doctoral Consortium is based on the following requirements and rules:
- Doctoral Consortium is open only to Doctoral Students who have started their research;
- Each student with an accepted paper for the Doctoral Consortium must register and attend the Conference (will benefit from a 50% discount over regular registrations);
- The Doctoral Consortium papers will be included on the conference CD (not book);
- Each paper must be presented by the Doctoral Student before an advisory board;
- Submissions will be judged on originality, significance and clarity.
- Paper length: 4 to 12 pages
- Papers must be written in MS-Word or Latex including the following information:
    - stage of the research,
    - outline of objectives,
    - research problem,
    - state of the art,
    - methodology,
    - expected outcome


DOCTORAL CONSORTIUM CHAIR
Dr. Markus Helfert (Dublin City University)