Journal History

Historical Milestones of Dynamics of Rural Society Journal

Period 2023: Laying the Foundation of the Journal

  • Vol. 1, Issue 1, January 2023 and Vol. 1, Issue 2, July 2023)
    - In its inaugural issue, The Dynamics of Rural Society Journal focused on rural studies and societal dynamics in Indonesia.
    - With the publication of the first and second editions, we acknowledge that the management of this journal was far from perfect. We were still in the learning process and adjusting, much like a newborn taking its first steps. We recognize that there are many aspects that need improvement and refinement as we strive to ensure the journal's growth and development in the future.
    - During this period, all the articles were written by Indonesian authors from our university. Given that we were still in the early stages, there weren’t many authors from outside our university who were interested in or aware of this journal. This situation was challenging for us, and we realized that in order to build a quality journal, we needed to make significant efforts. Thus, we reached out and tried to persuade friends and colleagues from outside our university to submit their articles. Unfortunately, none of those we contacted were willing to submit their work. In the end, we had to rely on articles from friends and colleagues within our university. We acknowledge that achieving our ambitious goals requires much more effort and perseverance.

  • Editorial Process (Vol. 1, Issue 1, January 2023 and Vol. 1, Issue 2, July 2023)
    We must be honest that the editorial process during this period required considerable effort. We reached out to friends and colleagues from outside our university to invite them to serve as editors and reviewers, but out of those contacted, only two to three people agreed. As a result, we had to rely on reviewers and editors from within our university. Despite this, we are confident that these significant efforts, though challenging, will pay off in the future as the journal's reputation and credibility grow.

  • Indexing Achievements in 2023
    Through relentless effort and perseverance, throughout 2023, this journal successfully achieved indexing in several prominent databases, marking a significant milestone in our journey. This achievement is a testament to our commitment and dedication to enhancing the quality of the journal, as well as an important step in expanding its reach and recognition among academics and researchers. As a result of these efforts, the journal has been indexed in several renowned platforms, including:

  • Foundation for Academic Recognition (2023)
    These achievements laid the foundation for the growing recognition of the journal within academic circles.

Period 2024: Reaching a Major Milestone in International Recognition

  • New Leadership in 2024
    In 2024, Sahrain Bumulo assumed the role of Editor-in-Chief, succeeding Dondick Wicaksono Wiroto. Under this new leadership, the journal intensified its focus on international collaboration and scholarly excellence.

  • Minimum Reference Policy (January 2024)
    In Volume 2, Issue 1 (January 2024), the journal introduced a minimum reference policy, requiring each article to have at least 15 references to ensure robust and comprehensive scholarship.

  • Volume 2, Issue 1 (January 2024)
    This issue introduced a revamped article template to enhance visual appeal, readability, and overall design quality.

  • Efforts towards Internationalization and Global Collaboration in the Review Process
    In early 2024, we made efforts to expand our international collaboration network by reaching out to a number of academics and experts in the fields of Sociology and rural community studies from various countries. Approximately 20 academics and experts were contacted via email, and we are extremely proud and excited that three of them, from Australia, Malaysia, and Nigeria, agreed to serve as reviewers and assess our articles for publication in Volume 2, Issue 2, July 2024.

  • Vol. 2, Issue 2, July 2024
    In Volume 2, Issue 2, July 2024, our journal began involving international reviewers from various countries, including Australia, Nigeria, and Malaysia. This marked an important step in our efforts to improve the quality of the journal and broaden the international perspective in the peer-review process, ensuring that the articles published meet high academic standards.

  • Indexing in DOAJ (October 29, 2024)
    With unwavering determination and consistent efforts to continuously develop the journal, our hard work began to yield results. One milestone after another was achieved, and on October 29, 2024, the journal we managed reached a significant achievement. On that date, our journal was accepted and indexed by the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). This accomplishment is not only the result of the tireless efforts of our editorial team but also a clear demonstration that our dedication, commitment, and continuous efforts to enhance the quality of the journal have produced tangible and meaningful outcomes.

  • MoU Signing with APSSI (November 22, 2024)
    On November 22, 2024, the journal signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Association of Sociology Study Programs in Indonesia (APSSI), facilitating the journal’s inclusion in the APSSI Journal Network.

  • Building Global Collaboration in the Review and Editorial Process
    Since being indexed in the DOAJ database in October 2024, we have made concerted efforts to expand our international collaboration network by reaching out to a number of academics and experts in the fields of Sociology and rural community studies from various countries. We invited these scholars, experts, and researchers to become part of the international editorial team and reviewer board. On a daily basis, we sent 100 emails to academics, experts, and researchers in the fields of Sociology and Rural Community Studies. Within a span of two months, approximately 15 academics, experts, and researchers from various countries agreed to join as editors, and 9 agreed to serve as reviewers (Malaysia, Australia, India, Philippines, Nigeria, Portugal, Spain, Sri Lanka, France, United Kingdom, Tanzania, Netherlands, Republic of Macedonia, United States, China, Canada).

Period 2025: Transformation Towards Global Standards in Publishing and Geographical Diversification

  • Vol. 3, Issue 1 (January 2025)

    • The journal began involving international reviewers from countries such as Australia, the Netherlands, the Republic of Macedonia, Nigeria, India, and Malaysia.
    • An international editorial board was established, consisting of members from Malaysia, Indonesia, Nigeria, and India.

  • Vol. 3, Issue 1 (January 2025)
    In this issue, the journal achieved significant geographical diversity among its contributors, who are writers and researchers from Indonesia, Nigeria, India, and China.

  • Volume 3, Issue 1 (January 2025)
    In this issue, further minor updates were made to maintain the journal's high standards and reader comfort.

  • Adoption of English as the Primary Language (January 2025)
    Starting from Volume 3, Issue 1 (January 2025), the journal transitioned to English as the primary language for publication, aligning with global academic standards and expanding its readership.

  • Volume 3, Issue 2
    In this issue, the journal's geographical diversity among its writers has significantly increased, with contributors from Indonesia, Nigeria, Malaysia, Czech Republic, and Philippines.

Period 2026: Strengthening National Accreditation while Expanding Global Authorship and International Reputation

Refinement of the Journal’s Aims, Focus, and Scope (January 2026)

In January 2026, Dynamics of Rural Society Journal undertook an important refinement of its aims, focus, and scope as part of its broader effort to strengthen its academic identity, editorial direction, and international relevance. This improvement was intended to provide a clearer and more systematic framework for the types of manuscripts prioritized by the journal, while aligning its publication strategy with contemporary debates in rural sociology, development studies, and public policy.

The revised aims positioned the journal as a platform for advancing high-quality, interdisciplinary research on rural social transformation, particularly in the context of the Global South. Through this refinement, rural communities are not merely framed as subjects of study or targets of development interventions, but as active contributors to knowledge production, social innovation, and policy negotiation. This orientation reflects the journal’s commitment to promoting research that is empirically grounded, theoretically informed, and relevant to both local realities and global academic discussions.

The improvement of the journal’s focus also strengthened its attention to the intersection of rural social transformation, policy processes, and development challenges. The journal gives particular emphasis to how rural societies experience, negotiate, and reshape social change, development interventions, governance arrangements, agrarian transitions, environmental pressures, inequality, and community resilience. By prioritizing studies from Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Pacific, the journal seeks to expand the visibility of Global South perspectives within international scholarly debates.

In terms of scope, the journal refined its thematic domains to provide clearer guidance for prospective authors. The updated scope includes social transformation and inequality; livelihoods, labor, and agrarian change; governance, policy, and institutions; migration and demographic change; as well as environmental change and community resilience. These areas reflect the journal’s interdisciplinary orientation and its concern with the complex realities faced by rural communities in different socio-political, economic, and ecological contexts.

This refinement also encouraged comparative, cross-national, and South–South perspectives. By doing so, the journal aims to connect local empirical evidence with broader theoretical and policy discussions at the international level. Therefore, the January 2026 improvement marked a significant step in strengthening the journal’s scholarly profile, clarifying its editorial standards, and supporting its long-term goal of becoming a globally recognized platform for rural studies and community-based research.

Sinta 2 Accreditation (March 2026)

In March 2026, Dynamics of Rural Society Journal was, for the first time, awarded the prestigious National Sinta 2 accreditation. This achievement represents a significant milestone in the journal’s development, marking its recognition within Indonesia’s academic community. The Sinta 2 accreditation acknowledges the journal’s sustained progress in adhering to national academic standards, including improvements in editorial processes, publishing practices, and the quality and diversity of its contributors.

The Sinta 2 recognition is a testament to the journal’s hard work and long-term commitment to academic quality. This achievement was closely related to the journal’s continuous improvements, particularly during 2025 and early 2026, when international collaboration was intensified, editorial governance was strengthened, and efforts to meet global standards in publishing and peer review were further realized. This accreditation not only validates the journal’s credibility within Indonesia, but also enhances its standing in the global academic community.

Expanding Global Author Diversity (2026)

Since its inception with Volume 1, Issue 1 in January 2023, Dynamics of Rural Society Journal has made remarkable progress in broadening its international scope. As of Volume 4, Issue 2 in July 2026, the journal has attracted contributions from authors across 12 different countries: the Netherlands, Czechia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Niger, the Philippines, the People’s Republic of China, South Africa, Sierra Leone, India, Nigeria, and Hungary.

This geographical diversity reflects the journal’s growing appeal to scholars from different regions and academic traditions. It also enriches the discourse on rural society dynamics by incorporating a wide range of perspectives, empirical contexts, and theoretical insights. The increasing participation of international authors demonstrates that the journal is developing into a more inclusive scholarly platform for discussing rural transformation, development challenges, and community resilience in diverse Global South contexts.

The journal’s expanding global authorship is the result of concerted efforts to foster international collaboration, particularly with experts, researchers, and academics from various countries. This accomplishment underscores the journal’s commitment to becoming a globally recognized platform for rural studies, social transformation research, and community-based scholarship.

Building a Stronger International Reputation

The awarding of Sinta 2 accreditation in March 2026, together with the refinement of the journal’s aims, focus, and scope in January 2026, has further strengthened the reputation of Dynamics of Rural Society Journal. These developments demonstrate the journal’s commitment to improving its editorial quality, strengthening its academic identity, and expanding its role in international scholarly communication.

As the journal continues to develop its editorial process, the involvement of scholars from various countries has strengthened its international standing and academic influence. With more than 76 international experts serving as members of the editorial and review boards from 28 different countries, the journal’s commitment to excellence, academic integrity, and global collaboration has become increasingly evident.

By embracing international authors and reviewers, the journal continues to refine its publishing practices and enhance the quality of its scholarly contributions. These efforts ensure that the articles published are relevant not only to local and national contexts, but also to broader global academic discussions on rural society, development, governance, inequality, environmental change, and community resilience.