Research Journals in Indonesia: SINTA & Scopus

Searching for a list of journals in Indonesia? No other country publishes as many open access journals as Indonesia, so the real task is picking wisely. This guide presents leading Indonesian journals by publisher, subject and reported indexing, describes SINTA ranks and the Garuda portal, and explains how to verify a journal. It is aimed at researchers in Jakarta, Indonesia; Bandung, Indonesia; Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Surabaya, Indonesia and throughout the archipelago.

Scholarly Publishing in Indonesia

Indonesia runs one of the largest journal systems anywhere. The Directory of Open Access Journals reports that in March 2025 Indonesia became its biggest contributor, with 2,473 journals, roughly 11.5% of DOAJ, and universities host most of them on the .ac.id domain. Many thousands of other Indonesian journals are absent from DOAJ.

National quality is monitored through SINTA (Science and Technology Index), operated by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology. Journals that pass the national accreditation process (ARJUNA) are ranked from SINTA 1 (S1), the top level, down to SINTA 6 (S6). S1 matches the earlier “A” accreditation and S2 matches “B”. Many universities and lecturer-promotion rules cite SINTA ranks for national journals and “reputable international journals”, usually meaning Scopus or Web of Science, for higher academic ranks. Always read your own institution's wording to see which of these it expects.

Research Journals Published in Indonesia

Each journal below is published in Indonesia by a university, society or research body that can be identified. The “reported coverage” column repeats what the journal or its publisher says about itself, so check any indexing claim in Scopus Sources or the Master Journal List before submitting.

Cross-checked on 4 October 2026 with each journal’s site or publisher. It offers a starting point only, with no ranking and no claim to be complete.

Online Journal Platforms and Directories to Use

Use SINTA for a journal’s national accreditation, Garuda for searching Indonesian articles, and international directories for a second check. Send your submission via the journal’s own OJS page.

Where Research Happens in Indonesia

Universities across the archipelago publish Indonesian journals, with the biggest concentrations on Java. The cities below host major universities and many of the journals mentioned above.

Picking the Right Journal

Do not wait until the draft is complete to select a journal. Test its scope by reading three recent articles, note the length and reference requirements in the author guidelines, and verify what your institution will count — a national list, Scopus, Web of Science or any peer-reviewed journal. If the first choice turns the paper down, have a dependable alternative planned.

Fees and Affordable Options

Every Indonesian journal decides its own charges. Numerous university journals ask a modest publication fee in rupiah, some ask for nothing, and a few bill higher APCs, often in US dollars for international authors. The amount and what it includes ought to appear on the journal’s “Author Fees” or “Publication Charge” page.

With so many Indonesian journals around, pushy marketing is widespread. Be wary of services that promise a place in a SINTA or Scopus journal in return for payment, and never pay until the journal itself has genuinely accepted your paper. For comparison, JMVRA's fee for foreign authors is $41 USD, payable only after acceptance and covering up to five authors.

For the complete comparison method, turn to our low-cost journal publication guide, where the checks hold in any country, and to the article on how a low-fee journal covers its costs.

Checking a Journal Step by Step

• Cross-check title and ISSN with what the ISSN Portal shows.
• Look up the publisher, editorial team and contact address by yourself.
• Review the peer review policy and expect reviewer comments alongside each decision.
• Test every indexing statement against the database's own records.
• A sound journal lists its fees early and bills only after acceptance.

Checklist Before You Submit a Manuscript

1. Journal verifiedScope, requirement and indexing reviewed
2. Template usedLayout, reference style and length
3. Similarity check passedEvery source acknowledged, including your own previous papers
4. Ethics addressedApproval, consent and conflicts disclosed
5. Author information accurateNames and affiliations written exactly as intended
6. Covering letter writtenWhy this manuscript belongs in this particular journal

Practical Tips for Indonesian Lecturers Targeting Quality Journals

Indonesian academics often face institutional expectations about where and how often to publish. These tips help you meet those expectations while keeping the quality and honesty of your research first.

• Aim for quality before quantity. Resist splitting one study into several thin papers to satisfy output targets. A single well-argued article usually serves your reputation and career better than fragmented work.
• Read the performance criteria carefully. Your university and funders define what counts toward promotion. Read those rules closely and confirm with your office before choosing a journal, rather than relying on hearsay.
• Strengthen the English writing early. If you write in Indonesian first, translate with care and ask a proficient reader to review it. Poor language is a common reason that sound research is returned before review.
• Report methods with full transparency. Describe instruments, validation and analysis steps so another researcher could repeat them. This is especially important for surveys and educational studies that reviewers scrutinise closely.
• Reuse your own text with caution. Reworking a conference paper or thesis chapter is acceptable only with proper citation and substantial change. Run a similarity check yourself before submission and fix overlapping passages.

Understand your institution's expectations, but let honest, well-reported research drive your decisions rather than output targets alone.

Questions Researchers Often Ask

Summary and What to Do Next

Indonesia has a vast spread of journals, from SINTA-ranked university titles up to Scopus Q1 journals. Begin with your own requirement, confirm status through SINTA and Scopus, and pick by suitability.

1. Have the publication requirement of your institution confirmed on paper.
2. From the table, narrow down some journals and browse their recent articles.
3. Our Scopus and Web of Science guide for Indonesia explains how to confirm indexing.
4. Write up your manuscript in the template supplied by the journal and submit it at the journal’s own site.

References and Sources

Checked on 4 October 2026. Indexing, fees and policies can change, so check them again before submitting.

• DOAJ Blog — The growth of Indonesian journals in DOAJ (2025)
• SINTA — Science and Technology Index
• Garuda — Garba Rujukan Digital
• CASRAI — SINTA explained
• BCREC
• Indonesian Journal of Chemistry
• Scopus Sources
• Clarivate Master Journal List
• ISSN Portal