Presenting at QRS 2024 at the Churchill College, University of Cambridge
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Disclaimer: This article is a final deliverable report of presenting research at the 24th International Conference on Software Quality, Reliability, and Security (QRS), supported by the Undergraduate Studies Office and Summer Research Scholar (SRS) program at Duke Kunshan University (DKU).
Part I. Conference Summary
Formal Dinner at Churchill College, Cambridge
(Prof. Luyao Zhang, Xintong Wu, and Wanlin Deng)
1.1 Conference Information
The 24th IEEE International Conference on Quality, Reliability, and Security (QRS 2024), held from July 1-5, 2024, at Churchill College, University of Cambridge, UK, is a prestigious event formed in 2015 by merging SERE and QSIC conferences. It serves as a unified platform focusing on the core aspects of software systems: Quality, Reliability, and Security. QRS 2024 gathered engineers, researchers, and practitioners from academia and industry to discuss the latest advancements in developing secure, reliable, and high-quality software. The conference featured keynote speeches, panel discussions, and various presentations on software reliability, security, AI-based techniques, machine learning, formal methods, and software testing.
Keynote Address by Alastair Beresford, Professor at the University of Cambridge
QRS 2024 gathered experts from academia and industry to discuss the latest advancements in software engineering, covering topics such as software reliability, security, AI-based techniques, and machine learning. Keynote speeches included insights from Dr. Mark Harman and Dr. Nadia Alshahwan from Meta Platforms, Inc., who discussed automated test generation, and Professor Alastair Beresford from the University of Cambridge, who spoke on metadata-private software systems. Additionally, a panel discussion on "Deep Learning and LLM Training: Quality and Reliability" was moderated by Professor Min Xie from the City University of Hong Kong, featuring prominent academics from leading universities.
Keynote Address by Dr. Mark Harman and Dr. Nadia Alshahwan from Meta Platforms, Inc.
Sponsored by the IEEE Reliability Society and industry partners, the conference provided valuable insights and fostered collaboration, contributing to the ongoing development of secure and reliable software systems.
1.2 Paper Information
In our Paper titled “Decoding Social Sentiment in DAO: A Comparative Analysis of Blockchain Governance Communities”, Yutong Quan is the first author, Xintong Wu, and Wanlin Deng are co-authors, and Prof. Luyao Zhang is the corresponding author. Blockchain technology is leading a revolutionary transformation across diverse industries, with effective governance being critical for the success and sustainability of blockchain projects. Community forums, pivotal in engaging decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), significantly impact blockchain governance decisions. Concurrently, Natural Language Processing (NLP), particularly sentiment analysis, provides powerful insights from textual data. While prior research has explored the potential of NLP tools in social media sentiment analysis, there is a gap in understanding the sentiment landscape of blockchain governance communities. The evolving discourse and sentiment dynamics on the forums of top DAOs remain largely unknown. This paper delves deep into the evolving discourse and sentiment dynamics on the public forums of leading DeFi projects: Aave, Uniswap, Curve DAO, yearn.finance, Merit Circle, and Balancer, focusing primarily on discussions related to governance issues. Our study shows that participants in decentralized communities generally express positive sentiments during Discord discussions. Furthermore, there is a potential interaction between discussion intensity and sentiment dynamics; higher discussion volume may contribute to a more stable sentiment from code analysis. The insights gained from this study are valuable for decision-makers in blockchain governance, underscoring the pivotal role of sentiment analysis in interpreting community emotions and its evolving impact on the landscape of blockchain governance. This research significantly contributes to the interdisciplinary exploration of the intersection of blockchain and society, specifically emphasizing the decentralized blockchain governance ecosystem.
1.3 Relevant Deliverables
Online Paper on arXiv: Quan, Y., Wu, X., Deng, W., & Zhang, L. (2023). Decoding social sentiment in dao: A comparative analysis of blockchain governance communities. arXiv preprint arXiv:2311.14676.
On July 3rd, 2024, we presented our paper during Session I-D: Blockchain and Smart Contracts at the conference. Wanlin Deng and Xintong Wu served as the presenters. Our presentation attracted significant attention from the audience, particularly from researchers interested in the methodologies we employed for data collection and analysis.
During the Q&A session, numerous scholars expressed keen interest in our approach to extracting and analyzing data from Discord, the primary platform used for governance discussions in decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). They were particularly curious about the techniques we used to filter and select relevant data from vast amounts of Discord conversations. We provided detailed explanations, highlighting our criteria for data selection and the tools we utilized to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the information gathered.
Additionally, some researchers shared fresh perspectives on community governance, noting that users who engage in forum discussions often exhibit a more positive attitude and are inclined toward exploring new governance models. These insights were valuable and prompted us to consider expanding our research to further investigate the correlation between user sentiment and the evolution of governance systems in decentralized communities.
Overall, the feedback and interactions we received during our presentation were immensely beneficial, offering us new directions to explore in our ongoing research. We are excited to incorporate these insights into our future work, further contributing to the understanding of sentiment dynamics in blockchain governance communities.
Part II. Scholar reflections
2.1 Intellectual Growth
Participating in QRS 2024 significantly contributed to our intellectual growth, expanding our understanding of the latest trends and methodologies in software quality, reliability, and security. Engaging with experts in the field provided us with valuable insights into the complexities of software engineering, particularly in areas like AI-based techniques and formal methods. The rigorous discussions and feedback we received during our presentation and throughout the conference helped refine our research approach, encouraging us to think critically about the methodologies we use and how they can be applied to broader contexts. The exposure to cutting-edge research and diverse perspectives has deepened our knowledge and inspired us to explore new avenues within the intersection of blockchain governance and sentiment analysis.
2.2 Professional Development
The conference offered an excellent platform for professional development. Presenting our research to a knowledgeable audience allowed us to hone our communication skills, particularly in conveying complex ideas to both academic and industry professionals. The Q&A session was especially beneficial, as it required us to think on our feet and provide clear, concise answers to challenging questions. Networking with scholars and industry practitioners opened up opportunities for future collaborations, giving us a broader perspective on how our work can impact the industry. Additionally, learning from the experiences of other researchers helped us understand the practical applications of our research, reinforcing the importance of bridging the gap between academia and industry.
2.3 Leadership Practice
Attending and presenting at QRS 2024 also fostered our leadership skills. By taking the initiative to lead our session, we not only demonstrated our expertise but also set the tone for discussions that followed. The experience of guiding our peers through our research, addressing their inquiries, and incorporating their feedback into our ongoing work showcased our ability to lead scholarly discourse. Moreover, collaborating with our co-authors and coordinating the presentation underscored the importance of teamwork and leadership in research settings. This experience has strengthened our confidence in leading future projects and contributing meaningfully to the academic community.
Punting Tours around the University of Cambridge
(Wanlin Deng, Xintong Wu, Prof. Luyao Zhang)
Part III. Acknowledgment
Xintong Wu and Wanlin Deng were honored to receive a grant from the Duke Kunshan University (DKU) Undergraduate Studies Office. We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the DKU Undergraduate Studies Office for their generous support. Their assistance enabled us to present our research, engage with experts, and gain invaluable insights that will significantly contribute to our academic and professional development. We deeply appreciate the encouragement and resources provided by DKU, which have played a vital role in our growth as scholars.
Part IV. About the authors
Xintong Wu
Xintong Wu
Xintong Wu is a student in the Class of 2025 at Duke Kunshan University, majoring in Computation and Design / Computer Science. Her interested research areas are digital design, digital market research, and the metaverse. She hopes to delve into the dynamic interactions between technology and society in the future Web 3.0 era and explore the infinite possibilities that technology can bring.
Wanlin Deng is a rising senior majoring in Political Economy at Duke Kunshan University, with a robust background in both economics and computer science. She is deeply passionate about the interdisciplinary field of computational economics, where she delves into the intersection of economics, blockchain, and AI technologies. Through her research, Wanlin seeks to transform the challenges of traditional economic theories into new opportunities by leveraging artificial intelligence, blockchain, and advanced computational methods. Her ultimate goal is to bridge the complexities of global economics with cutting-edge technological advancements, laying the groundwork for a just and prosperous future that addresses the diverse needs of our increasingly interconnected world.
Yutong Quan graduated from Duke Kunshan University majoring in Political Economy with an Economics track. Interested research areas include blockchain governance, decentralized finance, and interdisciplinary fields of Artificial Intelligence and economics. She is now at Columbia University in the U.S.A., studying quantitative methods in the social sciences at the Graduate School of Art and Science.
Luyao (Sunshine) Zhang is Assistant Professor of Economics and Senior Research Scientist at the Data Science Research Center at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). Her current research interests lie at the interplay of computational and economic science, focusing on the application of groundbreaking technologies for sustainability, human prosperity, and the advancement of society. Know more about her at: https://scholars.duke.edu/person/luyao.zhang.
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