Developer Behaviour, Collaboration and Coordination
Contribution patterns, developer roles, coordination, collaboration, community dynamics, pathways to prominence, and the organisation of OSS development.
Matteo Vaccargiu
I study developer behaviour, collaboration, and communication in open-source software, including the growing role of AI agents.
I am a researcher in Empirical Software Engineering studying the human and behavioural dynamics of software development. My work investigates how developers collaborate, coordinate, communicate, and express emotions within software ecosystems, and how these dynamics evolve as AI agents become increasingly involved in software development.
I use mining software repositories, data mining, statistical modelling, network analysis, NLP, and machine learning across open-source communities, programming-language ecosystems, and emerging human–AI development environments. My previous and ongoing work also examines blockchain ecosystems, energy systems, and sustainability from an empirical and socio-technical perspective.
About Me
I am originally from Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. I studied Mathematical Sciences and Applied Mathematics at the University of Cagliari before completing a PhD in Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology at the University of Camerino, supervised by Roberto Tonelli and co-supervised by Giuseppe Destefanis.
My academic path has included three Erasmus experiences. During my bachelor’s degree, I studied at the Universidad de Cádiz in Spain. During my master’s degree, I studied at the University of Strasbourg in France, where I also completed an internship at the Biostatistics Laboratory of Strasbourg University Hospital. During my PhD, I took part in an Erasmus+ mobility at the University of Tirana in Albania.
During my PhD, I also spent research periods at Brunel University London, working with Giuseppe Destefanis and Rumyana Neykova. I am now a Research Associate at the Chair of Information Systems and Software Engineering at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany. My background in applied mathematics continues to shape the empirical and quantitative perspective I bring to software engineering research.
I am also a member of London SmartBridgeLab, where I collaborate with researchers from University College London and Brunel University London.
Research Topics
My research focuses on the behavioural and socio-technical side of software development, with empirical methods as the common foundation.
Emotions and Human Aspects of Software Development
Developer communication, emotional expression, contributor well-being, emotional evolution, and the relationship between project context and community interaction.
AI Agents and Human–AI Software Development
Bots, coding agents, agent behaviour, human–AI interaction, review dynamics, and how AI changes coordination and communication in software projects.
Sustainable and Decentralized Software Ecosystems
Blockchain ecosystems, energy systems, sustainability, decentralised markets, and empirical studies of communities developing blockchain-based software.
Methods
Mining Software Repositories
Data Mining
Statistical Modelling
Network Analysis
Time-Series Analysis
NLP and Emotion Detection
Machine Learning
Completed project
TraCCCS
Blockchain Traceability and Carbon Credit Certification for Renewable-Energy SMEs
A research and technology project on blockchain-based traceability, renewable-energy data certification, and carbon-credit valorisation for SMEs.
Selected Publications
TOSEM · 2026
Technical and Emotional Dynamics in Programming Languages Development
Matteo Vaccargiu, Rumyana Neykova, Nicole Novielli, Marco Ortu, Giuseppe Destefanis
ACM Transactions on Software Engineering and Methodology — accepted
MSR · 2026
Coordination at Scale in Large Distributed Development: The Case of Kubernetes
Sabrina Aufiero, Matteo Vaccargiu, Silvia Bartolucci, Fabio Caccioli, Giuseppe Destefanis
23rd International Conference on Mining Software Repositories
BoatSE · 2026
Patterns of Bot Participation and Emotional Influence in Open Source Development
Matteo Vaccargiu, Riccardo Lai, Maria Ilaria Lunesu, Andrea Pinna, Giuseppe Destefanis
7th International Workshop on Bots and Agents in Software Engineering
Comm. Sustainability · 2026
Developer Engagement in Open-Source Software’s Green Transition
Matteo Vaccargiu, Sabrina Aufiero, Silvia Bartolucci, Rumyana Neykova, Roberto Tonelli, Giuseppe Destefanis
Communications Sustainability
MSR · 2025 · FOSS Award
Mining a Decade of Event Impacts on Contributor Dynamics in Ethereum: A Longitudinal Study
Matteo Vaccargiu, Sabrina Aufiero, C. Ba, et al.
22nd International Conference on Mining Software Repositories
CHASE · 2025
More Than Code: Technical and Emotional Dynamics in Solidity’s Development
Matteo Vaccargiu, Rumyana Neykova, Nicole Novielli, Marco Ortu, Giuseppe Destefanis
18th International Conference on Cooperative and Human Aspects of Software Engineering
Teaching
I teach in the M.Sc. Information Systems programme at the University of Hohenheim.
Current courses
DEVI · 2026/27
Data Exploration and Visualization
Lecturer · M.Sc. Information Systems
Exploratory data analysis, data wrangling, and visualization using Python, NumPy, Pandas, and Matplotlib.
SDM · 2026/27
Software Development Management
Lecturer · M.Sc. Information Systems
Software engineering processes, Agile and Scrum, requirements, planning, team structures, and software project management.
Previous teaching
Course tutor at the University of Cagliari for Quantitative Methods for International Management, Informatica 2, Statistics, Applied Statistics for Natural Sciences, and Mathematical-Statistical Laboratory.
Academic Service
Program Committees
- MSR 2027 — Mining Challenge, PC Co-Chair
- ICPC 2027 — Early Research Achievements (ERA) Track, PC Member
- ICSE 2026 — Software Engineering in Society (SEIS) Track, PC Member
- ICSME 2026 — Tool Demonstration and Data Showcase Track, PC Member
- MSR 2026 — Junior Program Committee
- WETSEB 2026 — PC Member
- WETSEB 2025 — PC Member
- IEEE Blockchain 2025 — PC Member
Journal Reviewing
- Information and Software Technology
- Science of Computer Programming
- Discover Sustainability
- Blockchain: Research and Applications
- ACM Transactions on Internet Technology
Additional Service
SANER 2024
Student Volunteer
Awards and Recognition
Distinguished Reviewer — ICSE 2026 SEIS Track
Recognized as a Distinguished Reviewer for the Software Engineering in Society Track at ICSE 2026.
MSR FOSS Award
For “Mining a Decade of Event Impacts on Contributor Dynamics in Ethereum: A Longitudinal Study.”
Best Research Paper Award — Brunel Computer Science PhD Symposium
For “Analyzing Sustainability Discussions among Ethereum Developers: Insights from BERT-Based Topic Modeling.”
Peer-to-Peer Voting Winner — Brunel Doctoral Poster
For “Do Ethereum Developers Discuss about Sustainability?”
Collaboration and Opportunities
I am interested in collaborations on developer behaviour, collaboration and coordination, emotions and communication in software development, mining software repositories, data mining, and the human aspects of AI agents in software engineering.
I also welcome enquiries from researchers interested in visiting the University of Hohenheim or exploring potential PhD and postdoctoral opportunities within our research environment.
Contact
Email
matteo.vaccargiu@uni-hohenheim.de
Office
Building 5.11, Room 1.11
Office hours
By appointment via email
University of Hohenheim
Information Systems and Software Engineering (580E)
Schwerzstr. 35
70599 Stuttgart
Germany
Information Systems and Software Engineering (580E)
Schwerzstr. 35
70599 Stuttgart
Germany