UPNVJ Public Relations – The Journal House of the National Development University “Veteran” Jakarta (UPNVJ) successfully held a series of Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) Global Outreach and Capacity Building 2025 Training activities, with one of the main focuses on simulation sessions for filling out the DOAJ application form, metadata evaluation, and editorial clinics for journal managers within the UPNVJ environment.
In the activity that took place today, Wednesday, July 30, 2025, the UPNVJ Journal House presented resource person Ikhwan Arief, M.Sc, a DOAJ Ambassador and Managing Editor, who directly guided participants in understanding the technical process of submitting journals to DOAJ.
This simulation session is a crucial point in the training, as it provides a practical understanding of the scientific journal registration process to meet international indexing criteria.
Using a case study-based approach, Ikhwan Arief guided participants through the detailed completion of the DOAJ application form, from selecting metadata categories and entering editorial information to technical adjustments to the journal's website structure. This simulation was designed to help journal managers understand each element evaluated in the DOAJ review process.
The simulation continued with an editorial clinic session and direct, consultative mentoring. In this session, each journal manager had time to discuss the journal's structure with a resource person, including template suitability, editorial policies, open access, and publication ethics. Participants also received specific feedback on areas for improvement to better prepare their journals for submission to DOAJ.
"We don't just want participants to understand the theory, but to be truly prepared with journal files and systems that meet DOAJ standards. Many journals have potential but haven't optimized their metadata or adjusted their editorial policies. That's what we're helping to improve today," said Ikhwan Arief during the mentoring session.
Journal managers welcomed the session, believing it provided hands-on, practical, and solution-oriented support, unlike the theoretical nature of general training. Many participants noted that this was their first time experiencing in-person journal simulations and analysis, which was extremely helpful in improving the journal's quality.
Through this activity, UPNVJ's Journal House demonstrates its commitment to supporting the capacity building of journal managers to enable them to penetrate international indexing and strengthen the institution's academic reputation.
With the practical approach provided in the simulation sessions and editorial clinics, it is hoped that UPNVJ journal managers can immediately prepare the submission process to DOAJ in a more mature and targeted manner.