Meeting: The 8th Asian Science Editors’ Conference and Workshop 2024

Date: July 15–16, 2024

Venue: The Westin Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia

Organizer: Council of Asian Science Editors (CASE), Korean Council of Science Editors (KCSE), and Indonesian Association of Scientific Journal Editors (IASJE)

Theme: Reflecting on the Past Ten Years for the Future of Asian Science Journals

The 8th Asian Science Editors’ Conference and Workshop 2024 took place at The Westin Jakarta (Jakarta, Indonesia), under the theme “Reflecting on the Past Ten Years for the Future of Asian Science Journals.” The event was attended by 34 speakers, chairs, members of the Council of Asian Science Editors (CASE) Committee, and the local committee (Fig. 1). Additionally, 155 participants from Indonesia, Korea, India, Singapore, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, China, and Japan were present (Fig. 2). The conference program featured a plenary session, five parallel sessions, the CASE general assembly, and a poster presentation. This paper focuses on the plenary sessions. The plenary session was chaired by Zuriati Zakaria from Malaysia, who is also the current president of CASE. During this session, two presentations were given: one by a former CASE president and another by a representative of the Indonesian government.

The first presentation was delivered by Ramanathan Subramaniam, the former president of CASE. He discussed the future prospects of Asian science journals, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines. Subramaniam expressed his belief that these journals have the potential to elevate their status through strategic planning, thereby making a more significant contribution to the field of scientific publishing. He emphasized the importance of journal editors assembling an editorial board of field leaders who can act as gatekeepers, ensuring that only high-quality papers are published. Typically, journals that uphold high standards and publish quality papers tend to have lower acceptance rates and a large pool of potential reviewers who are active, contributing scientists in their respective fields. Subramaniam proposed several key strategies to enhance the international standing of the Asian science journals. First, he suggested that each journal should strive for a balanced mix of papers from both local and international institutions, with editors determining the appropriate ratio for each issue. Additionally, editors should be selective, ensuring that only high-quality work is published [1,2]. Second, he recommended that editors set a goal to have the journal indexed in Web of Science and Scopus within a 2-year period. Lastly, he underscored the importance of networking and actively seeking high-quality submissions to bolster the journal’s reputation.

The second presentation was delivered by Yoga Dwi Arianda, a scientific journal coordinator at the Directorate of Research, Technology, and Community Services, under the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology. He outlined the methods used by the Indonesian government to evaluate the quality of scientific journals and to monitor their performance on a regular basis. During his talk, Arianda shared insights into how the Directorate rigorously assesses journal quality using specific criteria within the Scientific Journal Accreditation (ARJUNA) system. Each journal must satisfy the minimum assessment criteria before it can be submitted to the ARJUNA portal. The outcomes of the journal accreditation assessments are categorized into six score levels, which are then published on the Science and Technology Index (SINTA) portal.

The conference focused on the future of Asian science journals, particularly within the STEM disciplines. It emphasized the need for strategic thinking and higher standards to enhance their contribution to scientific publishing. The discussions underscored the importance of a high-quality editorial board and maintaining a low acceptance rate for submissions as crucial for upholding journal standards. Additionally, the significance of featuring a balanced mix of local and international papers, establishing a clear timeline for indexing in major databases, and actively networking to attract quality submissions were highlighted. The role of the Indonesian government in monitoring and periodically assessing journal performance was also discussed as vital for improving the quality and global standing of Asian scientific journals through rigorous standards and strategic planning.

Notes

Conflict of Interest

No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article were reported.

Funding

The authors received no financial support for this article.

Data Availability

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study.

Supplementary Materials

Fig. 1.

Speakers and chairpersons at the 8th Asian Science Editors’ Conference and Workshop 2024, held at The Westin Jakarta (Jakarta, Indonesia).

Fig. 2.

Attendees of the 8th Asian Science Editors’ Conference and Workshop 2024, held at The Westin Jakarta (Jakarta, Indonesia).

References

• 1. Wiryawan KG. The current status of science journals in Indonesia. Sci Ed 2014;1:71-5.https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.2014.1.71. Article
• 2. Wiryawan KG. Establishment of the Indonesian Association of Scientific Journal Editors. Sci Ed 2019;6:148-50.https://doi.org/10.6087/kcse.176. Article

Figure & Data

References

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by