.Scientific article writing is important to learn as one of the skills that has to be mastered by academics. Because of its own importance, on Thursday, 16 November 2023, around 240 participants who came from academics and researchers, as well as students from various disciplines joined in a virtual room to attend a webinar that discussed publication strategies in reputable journals and tips for avoiding desk rejection. This program not only comes out as a forum to share perceptions and experiences but also scores down an important step in efforts to improve the standard of scientific publications among academics. 

Webinar is opened officially by the Vice Director of Academic, Student Affairs, Research and Cooperation Postgraduate School State University of Yogyakarta, Prof. Dr. Slamet Suyanto, M.Ed. Before opening the webinar, he delivered a little welcome greeting to raise the participants’ enthusiasm. He stated that desk rejection commonly happens because of the differences between the articles that academics write with the target journal’s template. Writing by following the template is uncomplicated, but the one that is complicated is how academics can follow the content from the target journal’s template. He also expressed his outlook that with the implementation of this webinar, participants would have better knowledge about how to write articles correctly. 

Participants who enthusiastically took part in the webinar were introduced to reliable speakers who have proven themselves in the world of research and scientific publications. The first speaker delivered by Prof. Dr. Novita Intan Arovah, MPH., Ph.D. talked about “Reputable Journal Publication Strategy.” She has published many scientific articles in Scopus-indexed journals and recorded a Scopus H-Index of 5. The second speaker presented “Tips for Avoiding Desk Rejection” was delivered by the Coordinator of the UNY Postgraduate School Journal Unit, Mrs. Paramita Cahyaningrum Kuswandi, S.P., M.Sc., Ph.D. 

This webinar does not only provide theoretical perceptions but also gives real case examples to provide more concrete illustrations. Participants are invited to understand that each article has its own unique opportunities and challenges, and thorough preparation can help to avoid some common mistakes that can result in rejection from journal editors. One element that added value to this program is the open and interactive question-and-answer session. Participants were given the opportunity to share experiences, exchange ideas, and get direct answers from the speakers. 

This webinar does not only provide a platform to increase participants’ knowledge regarding publication strategies in reputable journals and avoid desk rejection. This will also become an opportunity to build a community that cares about the quality of the scientific publication process more confidently and effectively in the future and to achieve success in go through the highly competitive world of scientific journals. (rgy/sw)