For lecturers, researchers, and graduate students, publishing in a SINTA-indexed journal is often a mandatory requirement for functional-position promotion, graduation, or applying for research grants. Yet many are still confused about the difference between SINTA tiers 1 through 6, and how a journal's accreditation process actually works. This article summarizes it concisely and accurately based on the official evaluation system currently in effect.
What Are SINTA and ARJUNA?
SINTA (Science and Technology Index) is the portal that displays national scientific journal rankings based on the results of the ARJUNA (Akreditasi Jurnal Nasional / National Journal Accreditation) evaluation system operated by the Ministry of Education. ARJUNA assesses the quality of governance, publishing consistency, article quality, and citation impact of a journal, then assigns an accreditation score that determines that journal's SINTA ranking.
SINTA Tiers 1 Through 6 Explained
Here are the official accreditation score ranges that distinguish each tier:
SINTA 1 — accreditation score 85 to 100. Journals with the highest scientific quality and influence, generally already indexed in reputable international databases such as Scopus.
SINTA 2 — score 70 up to below 85. Very good quality with significant influence in their field, and often a realistic target for well-established university journals.
SINTA 3 — score 60 up to below 70. Good quality with a solid scientific contribution, typically faculty- or department-level journals with orderly governance.
SINTA 4 — score 50 up to below 60. Already recognized nationally but still needing improvement in certain areas, such as publishing schedule consistency or the quality of peer reviewers.
SINTA 5 — score 40 up to below 50. Journals in development that have passed an initial evaluation but still need considerable improvement in governance.
SINTA 6 — score 30 up to below 40. The entry tier for journals that have just passed the accreditation completeness-standard evaluation for the first time.
Steps to Publishing a Manuscript in a SINTA-Indexed Journal
First, choose a journal that matches your field and check its SINTA ranking at sinta.kemdikbud.go.id so your credit-point expectations align with your needs (for example, for a lecturer's functional-position credit score). Second, prepare the manuscript according to the target journal's template (author guidelines) — formatting errors are the most common reason for rejection at the desk-review stage. Third, submit through that journal's OJS (Open Journal System) and carefully complete the metadata, abstract, and keywords. Fourth, go through the review process, which generally involves peer reviewers, and be ready to revise according to the editor's notes. Fifth, once accepted, make sure the article receives a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) so it can be cited and tracked properly.
Tips to Improve Your Manuscript's Chances of Acceptance
Journal editors generally look for manuscripts with clear novelty, transparent methodology, and citations from recent sources. Avoid plagiarism by checking your similarity index with Turnitin or a similar tool before submitting, and make sure your reference list consistently follows the requested citation style (APA, IEEE, Vancouver, and so on) from start to finish.
For Journal Managers: How to Raise Your Accreditation Ranking
Besides authors, journal management (the editorial board) also has a stake in raising their journal's ARJUNA score. The most influential factors include consistent publishing schedules without delays, diversity of author affiliations (not dominated by a single institution), the quality and responsiveness of peer reviewers, complete metadata in OJS, and the number of article citations indexed in Google Scholar or Scopus. Tidy, consistent journal management over several publishing periods is generally the key to moving up from SINTA 4-6 toward SINTA 2-3.
Conclusion
Understanding the ARJUNA scoring system and SINTA tiers helps authors set realistic journal targets, while also helping journal managers design a strategy to improve accreditation. Whether you're a lecturer pursuing credit-point requirements or a journal manager aiming to move up in ranking, guidance from an experienced party can speed up the process and minimize repeated revisions.
Book & Journal Publishing Division, PT Legalku Multi Digital, Semarang.