Educational Leadership and Management Journal (Elemen.
Volume 03 Number 01 .
e-ISSN https://online-journal.
id/element DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
22437/element.
Journal Management at the University of Jambi: An Evaluative Study Towards an Accredited Journal Hansein Arif Wijaya1.
Muhammad Yusuf2.
Robi Hendra3 Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan.
Universitas Jambi.
Jambi.
Indonesia Article Info Article history:
Received 14, 09, 2025 Revised 07, 10, 2025 Accepted 17, 11, 2025 Keywords:
Journal Arjuna.
Sinta.
Universitas Jambi
ABSTRACT
Scientific journals play a strategic role in ensuring the quality and reputation of higher education institutions, particularly through the national accreditation mechanism facilitated by the Arjuna portal.
This study aims to evaluate journal management at the University of Jambi from the perspectives of management, substance, accreditation, and indexation, as a basis for strengthening governance to meet accreditation standards.
The study uses a descriptive-evaluative approach with document analysis of the recapitulation file "JURNAL UNJA Rev.
xlsx" containing 49 journals as a sample.
Data were analyzed quantitatively and descriptively to describe the distribution of Sinta status.
ISSN completeness, consistency of publication frequency, the existence of an editorial team and publication ethics, as well as DOAJ and Scopus indexing Qualitative-interpretive analysis was conducted by comparing actual conditions with Arjuna standards and findings from the literature on journal management and publication ethics.
The results show that the majority of journals in the sample are Sinta-accredited (S1AeS.
, with the largest concentration in Sinta 4 and Sinta 5, but there are still journals with status 0 and marked "-" that reflect unclear or incomplete accreditation data.
Six journals do not yet have an ISSN.
five journals show discrepancies in publication frequency.
six journals lack documented editorial team information and publication ethics.
and six are listed as "empty" or inactive.
In terms of indexing, only a small number of journals are indexed by DOAJ and two journals are listed in Scopus category Q4.
These findings indicate that the University of Jambi has a potential base of accredited journals, but still requires regulatory journal identity, strengthening editorial and ethics institutions, structuring the portfolio of inactive journals, and a gradual strategy for improving accreditation and indexing to support sustainable fulfillment of Arjuna Corresponding Author: yusufyahya@unja.
INTRODUCTION
Scientific publication through journals is a key pillar in the development of science and quality assurance in higher education.
Scientific journals serve not only as a vehicle 41 | W i j a y a e t a l .
e-ISSN: 3031-4721 for disseminating research results but also as an instrument of academic accountability by facilitating the peer-review process and the systematic documentation of knowledge.
the context of Indonesian higher education, the quality and productivity of scientific publications in accredited journals are important indicators of institutional performance, both in accreditation assessments and rankings (Mujahidin, 2.
Therefore, good journal governance is an absolute prerequisite for ensuring that scientific output is widely recognized and utilized.
The government, through the Ministry of Education.
Culture.
Research, and Technology, has developed various policy instruments to improve the quality of scientific publications, including strengthening the national journal accreditation system through the Arjuna (National Journal Accreditatio.
portal and developing the Sinta national index.
This system requires compliance with comprehensive standards that encompass publication management, article substance quality, publication ethics, periodicity, and scientific visibility and impact.
On the other hand, this policy also encourages universities to continuously improve their journal governance to meet and maintain accreditation The University of Jambi, as one of Indonesia's state universities, boasts a sizable scientific journal ecosystem.
Overall, the university manages over 100 journals, with several indexed in Sinta and some appearing in international indexes such as DOAJ and Scopus.
This demonstrates significant institutional capacity to support scientific publications by lecturers and students.
However, the large number of journals also poses challenges for quality assurance, consistent management, and uniform compliance with accreditation standards.
Without directed governance, this enormous potential will not be optimally utilized.
Several previous studies have highlighted that successful journal management is determined not only by the technical aspects of publishing but also by fostering a writing culture among the academic community, publication mentoring, and integrating journals with scientific writing capacity-building programs (Darmalaksana & Busro, 2021.
Sadikin et al.
, 2019.
Mabruri & Damayanti, 2.
Furthermore, the role of students as novice researchers and article contributors demands a credible and professionally managed journal ecosystem (Muhlisa, 2.
Therefore, good journal governance not only impacts accreditation but also fosters a healthy academic culture on campus.
The ethical dimension of publication is another aspect receiving increasing attention in journal management.
Various studies indicate that plagiarism and violations of academic integrity remain serious problems in higher education (Adiyati & Supriyanto.
Ruslan.
Hendra, & Nurfitriati, 2020.
Awasthi, 2.
On the one hand, pressure to publish scientific papers is increasing, while on the other hand, understanding of ethical writing, citation, and the use of plagiarism detection technology is still unequal.
Journal managers are required to have clear ethical policies and utilize algorithm-based plagiarism detection tools, such as RabinAeKarp.
N-grams, and Winnowing, as well as cosine similarity (Filcha & Hayaty, 2019.
Dillak.
Laumal, & Kadja, 2016.
Fadhullah.
Fauziah, & Winarsih, 42 | W i j a y a e t a l .
e-ISSN: 3031-4721 In this context, evaluating journal governance at the University of Jambi is crucial, particularly regarding four key aspects: management, substance, accreditation, and Management encompasses the institutional structure, the role of the editorial board, publication frequency, and editorial work systems.
Substance concerns the scientific quality of published articles and their suitability to the journal's scope.
Accreditation refers to compliance with Arjuna standards and the Sinta ranking status Meanwhile, indexation relates to the journal's involvement in national and international databases such as Sinta.
DOAJ, and Scopus.
Evaluation of these four aspects is expected to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current journal governance.
Based on this background, this study aims to evaluate journal management at the University of Jambi in terms of management, substance, accreditation, and indexation, using updated internal journal data.
The data analyzed include Sinta status, accreditation validity period.
ISSN availability, consistent publication frequency, the presence of an editorial team and publication ethics policy, as well as DOAJ and Scopus indexing status.
The results of this evaluation are expected to form the basis for developing strategic recommendations for the University of Jambi in developing a roadmap for strengthening journal governance so that all managed journals can meet national accreditation standards through the Arjuna portal and gradually increase their visibility in international METHODS This study uses a descriptive-evaluative approach with document analysis of journal management data at the University of Jambi.
The primary focus of the study is to assess the readiness and compliance of journal governance with national accreditation standards established through the Arjuna portal, specifically in the aspects of management, substance, accreditation, and indexing.
Data Source The primary data source for this study is the updated journal summary file of the University of Jambi, namely the file AuJURNAL UNJA Rev.
Ay This file contains information on 49 journals, representing a representative sample of the journal portfolio at the University of Jambi that have achieved or are currently pursuing national Key variables analyzed include journal identity, institutional and ethical aspects, accreditation, and indexing.
In addition to internal data, this study also utilized various relevant literature sources on scientific publication development, journal management, publication ethics, and plagiarism detection systems .
Mujahidin, 2019.
Darmalaksana & Busro, 2021.
Mulyanti & Darmalaksana, 2021.
Awasthi, 2019.
Adiyati & Supriyanto, 2020.
Ruslan et al.
Filcha & Hayaty, 2019.
Dillak et al.
, 2016.
Fadhullah et al.
, 2.
as a conceptual basis for analyzing the findings.
Data Collection Techniques Data were collected through.
Compiling internal documents in the form of a summary file of Jambi University journals compiled by the relevant units.
Content checking of each journal entry in the file to ensure that the data used reflects the current situation or has been revised according to the latest updates.
C) Additional literature searches of scientific articles.
Arjuna accreditation guidelines, and documents related to journal management and publication ethics were conducted to enrich the analytical 43 | W i j a y a e t a l .
e-ISSN: 3031-4721 Data Analysis Techniques Data analysis was conducted quantitatively-descriptively and qualitativelyinterpretively using the following steps: .
Tabulation and quantitative description.
Gap .
Qualitative synthesis.
The results of the analysis are presented in tabular and narrative form, emphasizing the relationship between the journalAos actual conditions and the requirements of national accreditation standards.
This approach is expected to provide a comprehensive overview of the strengths and weaknesses of journal governance at the University of Jambi, as well as provide an empirical basis for formulating targeted recommendations for improvement.
FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION
Findings Journal Accreditation Status in the Evaluation Sample Analysis of the UNJA Journals Rev files shows that 49 journals were sampled in the evaluation of journal governance at the University of Jambi.
Regarding national accreditation, the distribution of journalsAo Sinta status is shown in Figure 1.
Sinta 1 Sinta 2 Sinta 3 Sinta 4 Sinta 5 Sinta 6 Not yet accredited Invalid Figure 1.
Accreditation Data for 49 Sample Journals These data indicate that the majority of journals in the sample have achieved a Sinta rating, with the largest concentration in Sinta 4 and Sinta 5.
The presence of journals in Sinta 1 and Sinta 2 indicates that, institutionally.
Jambi University has several journals that meet the highest accreditation standards.
However, the presence of 10 journals with a status of 0 and 6 journals marked with a "-" indicates that some journals do not yet have a clear accreditation status or are not properly documented.
Regarding accreditation validity periods, the "SINTA SAMPAI TAHUN" column shows that journal accreditations are spread out through 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027.
Furthermore, a value of "0" and a "-" mark indicate the absence or incomplete information regarding accreditation validity periods for some journals.
These findings 44 | W i j a y a e t a l .
e-ISSN: 3031-4721 underscore the importance of a university-level accreditation data update system to ensure timely re-accreditation applications.
Completeness of Identity and Compliance with Formal Prerequisites Regarding the completeness of journal identity, the analysis shows that six journals still lack an ISSN or use a "-" in the ISSN column.
Numerically, this percentage is not dominant, but it is substantial, as the ISSN is one of the minimum prerequisites for formal recognition of a scientific journal and is a fundamental component of the accreditation process through Arjuna.
In the "ISSN - JOURNAL PUBLICATION FREQUENCY" column, five journals were identified as having discrepancies, such as the phrase "Not.
", indicating that the actual publication frequency does not align with the data recorded in the ISSN registration or does not meet the required periodicity pattern.
This condition may affect the assessment of the journalAos publication consistency and sustainability.
Furthermore, the data also shows six journals with a "-" in the "EDITORIAL TEAM" column and six journals with a "-" in the "PUBLICATION ETHICS" column.
This indicates that for several journals, information regarding the editorial board structure and publication ethics policies has not been developed or adequately documented.
In the AuIMPORTANT NOTESAy column, 6 journals were also found with notes such as Auempty journalAy or similar status, indicating that the journal is formally registered but is not yet active or has minimal publications.
International Indexing Status Regarding international indexing, nine of the 49 journals have been DOAJ accredited, and two journals were indexed by SCOPUS in Q4.
The journals indexed by Scopus in Q4 were the Indonesian Food Science and Technology Journal dan Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Terapan Universitas Jambi.
Therefore, the majority are not yet listed in the This data indicates that indexing in reputable international databases, such as Scopus, remains limited to only a small number of journals at the University of Jambi.
Discussion Position of Jambi University Journals within the Arjuna Standards Framework Findings regarding the distribution of Sinta status indicate that Jambi University already has a reasonably strong base of accredited journals, ranging from Sinta 1 to Sinta Within the Arjuna standards framework, this is an important starting point because it demonstrates institutional experience in meeting national accreditation indicators.
However, the presence of 10 journals with status 0 and 6 journals with a "-" mark indicates that there is still a gap between the quantity of journals and the quality of governance consistent with the Arjuna standards.
The absence of a clear Sinta status .
or "-") for some journals may be due to several factors, such as being new, not yet submitted for accreditation, or delays in updating accreditation data.
In this context, a mapping and phasing strategy is necessary:
journals that are relatively mature and have met formal requirements should immediately apply for accreditation, while journals with weak management and irregularity should first strengthen their governance.
This gradual approach aligns with literature recommending systematic coaching before encouraging accelerated publication and accreditation (Mujahidin, 2019.
Darmalaksana & Busro, 2021.
Mulyanti & Darmalaksana, 2.
The Importance of Regulating Identity and Consistent Publication ISSNs, publication frequency, and completeness of journal pages are components explicitly highlighted in the Arjuna guidelines.
The finding that six journals still lack ISSNs 45 | W i j a y a e t a l .
e-ISSN: 3031-4721 indicates that, to some extent, the regulation of journal identity has not been fully ISSNs are not only an administrative requirement but also serve as the entry point for national and international indexing processes.
Without an ISSN, journals may be rejected early in accreditation evaluations.
Similarly, the discrepancy in publication frequency across five journals demonstrates the need for harmonization between registration data and actual publishing practices.
Consistent publication frequency .
or example, two or three times a yea.
is a key indicator in assessing journal quality.
If the timeframe and number of issues do not align with those stated in official documents, this can be a negative indicator in the Arjuna assessment process.
The mentoring practices reported by Listiana.
Prastiwi, and Amrullah .
indicate that a clear publication schedule, complete journal identity, and efficient administrative management are crucial factors for successful accreditation.
Therefore, the results of this data analysis strengthen the need for a centralized journal identity and periodicity control program at the university level.
Strengthening Editorial Structures and Publication Ethics as the Core of Governance The absence of EDITORIAL TEAM and PUBLICATION ETHICS information in some journals indicates that not all journals transparently display their institutional structures and ethical foundations.
However, the literature on academic integrity confirms that transparency of editorial structures, peer review mechanisms, and ethics policies is the foundation of reader and author trust in journals (Awasthi, 2019.
Adiyati & Supriyanto.
The Arjuna Standards and various international guidelines .
COPE) require written policies regarding plagiarism, conflicts of interest, misconduct, and article Several studies on plagiarism in higher education institutions indicate that a lack of understanding and the absence of clear guidelines can lead to ethical violations in scientific writing (Ruslan.
Hendra, & Nurfitriati, 2.
On the other hand, the development of algorithm-based plagiarism detection systems such as RabinAeKarp.
Ngrams, and Winnowing, as well as cosine similarity (Filcha & Hayaty, 2019.
Dillak et al.
Fadhullah.
Fauziah, & Winarsih, 2.
provides technical instruments that can be utilized in journal governance.
In this context, the data analysis results demonstrate an urgent need to:
complete and publish the composition of the editorial board and their respective roles, and formulate and publish publication ethics policies for all journals.
This step is not only to fulfill the Arjuna assessment component but also to build a culture of academic integrity at the University of Jambi.
International Indexing: Challenges and Development Directions The limited presence of University of Jambi journals in DOAJ and Scopus underscores the significant challenge of strengthening international visibility.
However, the presence of nine journals indexed by DOAJ and two journals listed in Scopus with a Q4 category demonstrates concrete examples of management practices that are approaching or meeting international standards.
The literature on international journal management confirms that indexing in DOAJ and Scopus generally requires the following aspects: an open access policy, consistent publishing, high-quality peer review, clear publication ethics, and sound metadata 46 | W i j a y a e t a l .
e-ISSN: 3031-4721 The analysis of UNJA Journal Rev data indicates that weaknesses remain in the identity, editorial, and ethics aspects and must be addressed as a prerequisite before encouraging expanded indexing.
Within this framework.
University of Jambi journals listed in DOAJ or Scopus can serve as models of best practice for other journals.
Their experiences can be formalized as internal guidelines or inter-journal mentoring programs, enabling a more systematic and shared process for quality improvement and indexing.
Strategic Implications for Strengthening Journal Governance Overall, the analysis of UNJA Rev JOURNAL data indicates that Jambi University is in a transition phase from emphasizing journal quantity to strengthening the quality of journal governance.
The presence of journals ranked Sinta 1Ae5, as well as some indexed by DOAJ and Scopus, demonstrates promising capacity.
However, findings regarding incomplete ISSNs, discrepancies in publication frequency, gaps in editorial and ethics data, and the presence of "empty" journals indicate that structural improvements are still In line with previous studies on fostering scientific article writing and accelerating student publication (Mujahidin, 2019.
Sadikin et al.
, 2019.
Mabruri & Damayanti, 2021.
Mulyanti & Darmalaksana, 2.
, strengthening journal governance can be synergized with .
article writing training programs for lecturers and students.
incentive policies for publication in accredited journals.
the use of a plagiarism detection system as part of standard editorial procedures.
Thus, the results of this evaluation not only provide a diagnostic overview of the condition of the University of Jambi journal but also provide a basis for the preparation of a roadmap for strengthening journal governance that is in line with Arjuna standards while supporting the improvement of the quality and competitiveness of scientific publications at the national and international levels.
CONCLUSION
Journal management at the University of Jambi, based on a sample of 49 journals in the UNJA Rev.
JOURNAL file, demonstrates a relatively strong position in terms of both number and accreditation achievement, as most journals have been indexed by Sinta (S1Ae S.
, with a predominance of Sinta 4 and Sinta 5.
However, there are still journals with status 0 or marked "-," several journals do not have an ISSN, discrepancies in publication frequency, the absence of an editorial team and publication ethics, the presence of "empty journals," and limited DOAJ and Scopus indexing, indicating that governance does not fully meet Arjuna accreditation standards and international indexing.
Follow-up measures require streamlining journal identities (ISSN, name, publication frequency, and completeness of accreditation dat.
, strengthening the editorial structure and publication ethics policies with clear documentation and publication, restructuring the portfolio of inactive journals .
evitalization, merger, or official terminatio.
, and developing a roadmap for gradual accreditation and indexing improvements.
These efforts should be integrated with scientific writing development programs and the application of plagiarism detection technology so that strengthening governance goes hand in hand with improving the quality of manuscripts and the reputation of Jambi University journals.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We express our gratitude to Universitas Jambi for facilitating this research.
We also extend our gratitude to all those who contributed to this research.
47 | W i j a y a e t a l .
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REFERENCES