About the Journal

Aim, Focus, and Scope

Aim

Saksama: Jurnal Sastra (E-ISSN 2986-4550) aims to provide a high-quality, open-access academic platform for scholars and researchers to explore and publish studies in literature and popular narratives. Published biannually in June and December, the journal is dedicated to presenting critical perspectives on literary works and enriching contemporary academic discussions across various media landscapes.

Focus & Scope

The journal welcomes original research articles and critical reviews that utilize structural, post-structural, postmodern, comparative, and postcolonial approaches. The scope of Saksama encompasses, but is not limited to, the following core areas:

Textual Analysis: In-depth examination and critique of traditional and contemporary literary works.
Intermedial Studies: Exploration of the intersections and adaptations between literature and film.
Comparative Studies: Cross-media comparisons analyzing how narratives operate across different formats.
Contemporary Literary Theory: Application and advancement of modern literary frameworks and discourse.
Popular Narratives: Critical analysis of modern storytelling mediums, including video game narratives, song lyrics, and music album narrations.

Publication Frequency

Saksama: Jurnal Sastra is published biannually in June and December by the Faculty of Adab and Humanities at State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Gunung Djati, Bandung. This publishing schedule is designed to align with the academic calendar and optimize our editorial workflow, ensuring a consistent commitment to timely, high-quality scholarly communication.

The journal publishes original research articles, literary case studies, comparative analyses, and critical reviews. To maintain academic rigor and punctuality, Saksama adheres strictly to the following target editorial timelines for each edition:

1. June Publication Cycle

Paper Submission Deadline: By the end of March
Initial Editorial Review: Early to mid-April (approx. 2 weeks)
Peer Review (Round 1): Mid-April (approx. 1 week)
Author Revision (Round 1): Late April (approx. 1 week)
Peer Review (Round 2): Early May (approx. 1 week)
Author Revision (Round 2): Mid-May (approx. 1 week)
Final Editorial Decision & Production Prep: Late May (approx. 1 week)
Official Publication: June

2. December Publication Cycle

Paper Submission Deadline: By the end of September
Initial Editorial Review: Early to mid-October (approx. 2 weeks)
Peer Review (Round 1): Mid-October (approx. 1 week)
Author Revision (Round 1): Late October (approx. 1 week)
Peer Review (Round 2): Early November (approx. 1 week)
Author Revision (Round 2): Mid-November (approx. 1 week)
Final Editorial Decision & Production Prep: Late November (approx. 1 week)
Official Publication: December

Note: The journal adheres strictly to this publishing schedule unless exceptional editorial circumstances arise. Authors are encouraged to submit well in advance of the deadlines to ensure smooth processing through our double-blind peer-review system.

Open Access Policy

Saksama: Jurnal Sastra provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge in literary, narrative, and cross-media studies. All articles published in this journal are freely accessible online immediately after publication under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license.

Digital Access (Free) Users are permitted to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles without requiring prior permission from the publisher or the author. There are no registration, subscription, or pay-per-view fees required to access the digital content worldwide via the journal's website.

Printed Copies (On Demand) While online digital access is entirely free, physical printed versions of the journal are available for purchase upon request. Readers, authors, or institutions interested in obtaining a printed copy should contact the editorial office directly for information regarding printing costs, availability, and shipping details.

Peer Review Process

Stage 1: Initial Evaluation

Upon submission, the manuscript will undergo an Initial Evaluation to determine whether it meets the journal's submission standards. This includes:

Submission Fee: Free (0 IDR). There are no preliminary submission or processing fees required to submit a manuscript to Saksama: Jurnal Sastra.
Author Declaration Form: Authors must fill out the Author Declaration Form, confirming the originality, authorship, and ethical standards of the work.
Verify Submission Format: Ensure the manuscript aligns with the journal’s specific submission guidelines, including formatting, required documentation, and the Saksama article template.
Plagiarism Check: The editorial team will use similarity-checking tools (e.g., Turnitin) to ensure the manuscript is free of plagiarism and academic misconduct.
Document Completeness: Ensure all required sections are included in the manuscript (e.g., title, abstract, keywords, introduction, methods, findings, discussion, conclusion, and references).

This evaluation will be conducted by the Editor-in-Chief (EIC), Managing Editor, or an Editorial Assistant. Based on this evaluation, a decision will be made to either:

Reject the manuscript (Desk Rejection).
Send it to a Handling Editor for further review.

Stage 2: Handling Editor Evaluation At this stage, the Handling Editor will conduct a thorough evaluation of the manuscript’s academic substance, considering the following criteria:

Relevance: Evaluate the manuscript’s relevance to current literary discourse, checking if it aligns with the journal's scope (textual analysis, intermedial studies, comparative studies, and popular narratives).
Argumentation & Theoretical Framework: Review the manuscript’s analytical arguments, ensuring they are sophisticated, well-structured, and accurately apply relevant literary theories (e.g., structural, post-structural, postmodern, or postcolonial).
Innovative Contribution: Assess whether the manuscript offers new perspectives, critiques, or interpretations of the discussed literary works or media.
Methodological Rigor: Check for adherence to accepted humanities research methods (e.g., close reading, comparative analysis, cross-media studies).
Adherence to Citation Standards: Ensure citations strictly comply with the APA (American Psychological Association) 7th Edition style.
Journal Audience Compatibility: Ensure the writing style, complexity, and content are appropriate for the journal’s target audience of literary scholars, researchers, and students.

Possible decisions at this stage:

Reject the manuscript.
Request preliminary revisions from the author.
Send to Peer Reviewers (Double-Blind Review).

Stage 3: Double-Blind Peer Review If the manuscript passes the Handling Editor's evaluation, it will enter the Double-Blind Peer Review process. The manuscript will be reviewed by at least two anonymous expert reviewers (or more if needed). Reviewers will evaluate:

Relevance and Originality: Does the manuscript bring new insights or perspectives to literary theory, narrative analysis, or cross-media studies?
Clarity and Structure: Are the literary critiques and arguments presented clearly and logically?
References: Are references robust, properly cited according to APA 7th Edition, and adequately incorporate recent secondary sources?
Academic Impact: Does the work contribute meaningfully to the field of literature and cultural studies?

Reviewers assess the manuscript’s quality and provide detailed feedback, including suggestions for revisions or recommendations for acceptance/rejection. Reviewers may recommend one of the following decisions:

Accept Submission: No further revisions required.
Revisions Required: Minor revisions needed before resubmission.
Resubmit for Review: Major revisions required; the manuscript will be reviewed again after significant structural or theoretical updates.
Resubmit Elsewhere: The manuscript does not fit the specific scope of Saksama and should be submitted to another journal.
Decline Submission: The manuscript is rejected based on significant analytical or structural flaws.

Stage 4: Post-Review Evaluation by Handling Editor After receiving the reviewers' feedback, the Handling Editor will:

Assess the Reviewer's Recommendations: Reviewers’ comments will be consolidated, and the manuscript will be returned to the author for the necessary revisions.
Re-evaluate the Manuscript: Upon receiving the revised manuscript from the author, the handling editor may evaluate the changes or send it for another round of peer review if major revisions were requested.

The handling editor compiles all feedback and prepares a decision recommendation for the Editorial Board. The manuscript must be successfully reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers before the final decision recommendation can be made.

Stage 5: Final Decision by Editor-in-Chief Once the Handling Editor is satisfied with the revisions and the manuscript has passed peer review, the Editor-in-Chief (EIC) or the Editorial Board will make the final decision. The possible decisions are:

Accept: The manuscript is officially accepted for publication and will be assigned to an upcoming volume and issue (published in June or December).
Reject/Decline: The manuscript is rejected and returned to the author.

Stage 6: Notification and Payment If the manuscript is accepted, the author will be formally notified and will receive an APC (Article Processing Charge) invoice. Payment of the APC must be completed before the manuscript can proceed to the Copy Editing stage.

Stage 7: Copy Editing Once the APC is settled, the author will work with the editorial team to finalize the manuscript. This stage involves standardizing the language, fixing grammatical issues, checking formatting consistency, and resolving any final administrative details.

Stage 8: Layout and Proofreading The manuscript will be formatted into the official Saksama: Jurnal Sastra publication template by the Layout Editor (galley creation). Afterward, the Proofreading stage will take place. The author will be asked to review the final PDF galley to ensure there are no typographical errors before it is locked for publishing.

Stage 9: Publication After the final proofreading approval, the manuscript is ready for publication. The accepted article will be published digitally as an Open Access article in the designated June or December issue.

Publication Ethics

Saksama: Jurnal Sastra is committed to maintaining the highest standards of publication ethics, ensuring that all stages of the publication process are conducted transparently, fairly, and with integrity. This document outlines the ethical principles and guidelines for authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers involved in the publication process. These guidelines are in line with the principles set forth by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and are tailored to the specific needs of Saksama: Jurnal Sastra.

Ethical Guidelines for Journal Publication

The publication of articles in Saksama: Jurnal Sastra is a vital aspect of the dissemination of scholarly work, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of literature, contemporary literary theory, and popular narratives. To maintain the trust and credibility of the research community, we require that all stakeholders—authors, editors, reviewers, and publishers—adhere to ethical standards that promote academic rigor, accuracy, and transparency.

Research Integrity: All research submitted to Saksama: Jurnal Sastra must be conducted ethically and transparently, ensuring that it adheres to academic rigor and analytical standards. Fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism are strictly prohibited, and any such misconduct may lead to the retraction or correction of published articles.
Authorship and Contributorship: Authors must be correctly acknowledged for their contributions to the research. All individuals who have made significant intellectual contributions to the study should be listed as authors, while those who contributed in a less significant way should be acknowledged in the manuscript's acknowledgments section.
Conflicts of Interest: Authors, reviewers, and editors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may influence the content or outcome of the manuscript. Financial, personal, or institutional relationships must be disclosed, and any conflicts should be managed to avoid bias.
Peer Review Process: Saksama: Jurnal Sastra follows a double-blind peer review process, ensuring that the manuscript is evaluated objectively. Reviewers must treat all manuscripts as confidential and provide constructive feedback. Reviewers should refrain from using the contents of the manuscript for their own research without the author's explicit consent.
Data Sharing and Transparency: Authors are encouraged to provide clear citations and access to the primary texts, media, and analytical frameworks used in their research. This allows for transparency and verification of the textual or intermedial analysis. If public access to specific media data is not possible due to copyright, authors must provide a rationale.
Publication Malpractice: Saksama: Jurnal Sastra has a zero-tolerance policy for academic misconduct, including plagiarism, data fabrication, and inappropriate authorship. Any allegations of misconduct will be investigated thoroughly, and appropriate action will be taken, which may include the retraction or correction of the published article.
Corrections and Retractions: If significant errors or inaccuracies are discovered in a published article, authors should notify the editor immediately. If necessary, the article will be corrected or retracted in accordance with COPE guidelines.
Ethical Oversight: The editorial board ensures that all manuscripts comply with ethical standards. While literary studies primarily focus on texts and media, any field research involving human subjects or sensitive cultural topics must follow ethical guidelines specific to the context in which the research is conducted.
Protection of Intellectual Property: Authors must respect intellectual property rights and ensure they have obtained proper permissions for any copyrighted materials (such as extended song lyrics, film stills, or video game assets) included in their manuscript. Violations of intellectual property rights may result in the rejection or retraction of the article.

Duties of Editors

Editors are responsible for making final decisions about manuscript acceptance based on the relevance, originality, and academic quality of the work within the scope of literary and cross-media studies.
Editors must ensure a fair, unbiased review process, free from any conflicts of interest.
Editors should handle any allegations of research misconduct in accordance with COPE guidelines.

Duties of Authors

Authors should ensure that their work is original, heavily relies on robust theoretical frameworks (e.g., structural, post-structural, postmodern, postcolonial), and has not been previously published elsewhere.
Authors are responsible for providing accurate citations and ensuring their research complies with ethical standards.
Authors must not submit the same manuscript to multiple journals simultaneously.
Authors should acknowledge all sources of funding and disclose any potential conflicts of interest.

Duties of Reviewers

Reviewers must evaluate manuscripts based solely on academic merit, theoretical rigor, and relevance to the journal's scope, without bias or personal conflict.
Reviewers must maintain the confidentiality of the manuscript and should not use its contents for personal gain.

Author Guidelines

1. General Submission Requirements

Language & Originality: All manuscripts must be written in standard, academic English. Submissions must be original, unpublished work that is not currently under review for publication elsewhere.
Publication Ethics: Manuscripts must be strictly free from any form of plagiarism.
Scope of Work: The journal accepts original research articles, case studies, and comprehensive literary studies.
Peer Review: All submissions will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process prior to acceptance and publication in Saksama: Jurnal Sastra.
Submission Process: Authors must register via the journal's Open Journal Systems (OJS) portal to submit their papers. Manuscripts must adhere to the journal's writing template, which is available for download on the journal's website.

2. Manuscript Preparation & Structure

Manuscripts should be organized sequentially as follows:

Title

Must be concise, clear, and informative, accurately reflecting the core issues discussed.
Maximum length: 20 words.
Avoid uncommon abbreviations. Structure the title by placing main ideas first, followed by specific explanations or contexts if necessary.

Author’s Names and Affiliations

Provide the full names of all authors without academic or professional titles.
Include the primary affiliation (institution name), full institutional address, and a valid institutional email address for the corresponding author.

Abstract

Written as a single paragraph with a maximum of 250 words.
Must explicitly encompass the following five key elements:
1. Purpose: Concisely state the main objective of the research and its significance.
2. Methodology: Describe the research design, data collection techniques, and analytical frameworks.
3. Findings: Clearly present the most significant results relevant to the field.
4. Implications: Explain the study's contribution to knowledge, literary discourse, or media studies.
5. Originality: Emphasize the study's unique contribution and how it diverges from existing literature.

Keywords

Provide 3 to 5 highly relevant keywords specific to the article.
Write in lowercase, separated by semicolons, unless referring to proper nouns.

1. Introduction

Context & Literature: Place the study within a broader academic context. Review the current state of the research field, citing key publications and highlighting any controversial or diverging hypotheses.
Significance & Objectives: Clearly define the research gap, the purpose of the work, and the principal aim of the study. Ensure the background is comprehensible to scholars outside your specific niche.
Technical Formatting: Define all technical terms, symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms at first mention. In-text citations must follow the author-date format (e.g., Kamba, 2018; Marchlewska et al., 2019).

2. Research Method

Clearly detail the methodology used to analyze the literary or media texts.
Include an explanation of the research approach (e.g., structuralism, post-colonialism), the subjects/objects of the study, data collection procedures, and the specific data analysis techniques applied to the narratives.

3. Findings and Results

Present the results of the textual analysis clearly and logically, supported by sufficient textual evidence and data.
The findings must directly address the research questions or hypotheses formulated in the introduction.

4. Discussion

Note: May be divided by relevant sub-headings.
Interpret the results scientifically and critically. Do not merely restate the findings; explain why these results occurred and what they mean within the chosen theoretical framework.
Compare and contrast your findings with previous studies. Are your results consistent with existing literature, or do they present new perspectives?
Discuss the broader implications of the findings for contemporary literary theory and cross-media studies.

5. Conclusion

Provide a definitive conclusion that directly addresses the research objectives and core discoveries.
Avoid merely summarizing or copy-pasting the results, discussion, or abstract.
Suggest actionable future research trajectories based on the study’s findings and limitations.

References

Citation Style: Strict adherence to APA (American Psychological Association) Style, 7th edition.
Reference Management: Authors are highly encouraged to use reference management software (e.g., Mendeley recommended) to ensure accuracy and avoid duplicate citations.
Source Quality: Only list sources directly cited in the manuscript. To ensure contemporary relevance, 80% of secondary sources (academic journal articles and recent proceedings) must be published within the last five (5) years. Note: Primary literary texts, foundational books, and classical theories are exempt from this 5-year recency rule.

Plagiarism

Saksama: Jurnal Sastra maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards plagiarism. To ensure the utmost originality of all scholarly work, the Editorial Board screens every submitted manuscript using Turnitin software. A detailed similarity report will be provided to the author during the evaluation process.

Based on the Turnitin similarity index, the Editorial Board enforces the following standardized actions:

Similarity Index Above 30% (Article Rejected): If the similarity score exceeds 30%—typically due to severe unoriginality, poor citation habits, or inadequate paraphrasing—the article is outright rejected. No resubmission will be accepted for this manuscript.
Similarity Index Between 10% and 30% (Revision Required): The manuscript will be sent back to the author for substantial improvement. Authors must properly cite all sources of similarity and thoroughly paraphrase the text, even if a citation was originally provided.
Similarity Index Less than 10% (Acceptable / Minor Improvements): The manuscript generally passes the screening stage, though minor citation improvements may still be requested to ensure all outsourced texts or quotes are properly attributed.

Resubmission Requirements (For Cases 2 and 3): When a manuscript requires revision due to similarity findings, authors must carefully rewrite and re-paraphrase the text, add the required citations, and resubmit the article alongside a new Turnitin report demonstrating a maximum similarity index of less than 20%.

Originality Statement and Publication Confirmation: Prior to final publication, authors are required to formally guarantee the originality of their work. The corresponding author must sign an Originality Statement provided by the Editorial Board. This signed form will be archived and published on the journal website as formal proof that the authors assume full legal and academic responsibility for their work.

Screening for Plagiarism

All manuscripts submitted to Saksama: Jurnal Sastra are screened for plagiarism using the Turnitin program. Those exceeding 25% of the similarity index are declined without further consideration.

Author Fees

To support the dissemination of high-quality research while maintaining a rigorous peer-review and editorial process, Saksama: Jurnal Sastra implements the following transparent fee structure.

1. Fee Breakdown

Article Submission Fee: Free (0 IDR) Saksama: Jurnal Sastra does not charge any fees for manuscript submission. Authors may submit their work for initial evaluation and peer review completely free of charge.
Article Publication Fee (APC): IDR 1,000,000 For authors affiliated with institutions within Indonesia, an APC of IDR 1,000,000 is applied only if the manuscript has successfully passed the double-blind peer-review process and receives an official Letter of Acceptance (LoA). This fee covers copyediting, layout formatting, and open-access digital publication.
International Author Waiver (100% APC Discount) To foster global academic exchange and cross-cultural literary discourse, Saksama: Jurnal Sastra offers a full APC waiver for international authors. If the corresponding author or primary contributing authors are affiliated with universities or research institutions outside of Indonesia, the publication fee is entirely waived (Free).
Optional Proofreading Fee: At Cost Authors may choose to utilize the journal’s professional proofreading services to meet standard academic English or Indonesian requirements. The cost varies based on manuscript length and is entirely optional and independent of the peer-review process.

Editorial Independence Statement: Saksama: Jurnal Sastra strictly adheres to publication ethics. The financial status of the authors or their eligibility for a fee waiver does not in any way influence the editorial decision-making process, peer-review outcomes, or guarantee the acceptance of a manuscript.

2. Manual Payment Instructions (For Applicable Authors) For domestic authors whose manuscripts have been accepted for publication, the APC must be transferred manually to the journal’s official bank account. Please use the following details for your transaction:

Bank Name: Bank Syariah Indonesia (BSI)
Account Number: -
Account Name: -
Transfer Reference/Description: Please clearly state the purpose of the payment and the corresponding author's last name in the transfer notes (e.g., Publication Fee - [Author Last Name]).

3. Payment Confirmation Process To ensure your accepted manuscript progresses smoothly to the final publication stage, please confirm your payment by sending the digital receipt or proof of transfer directly via email to the Saksama editorial office, or by uploading it via the OJS communication thread linked to your accepted manuscript.

Indexing Page

Journal Publisher

Saksama: Jurnal Sastra is a journal published by Fakultas Adab dan Humaniora UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung since 2022.

Copyright Notice

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).