Efforts to strengthen the academic capacity of students and researchers in producing high-quality scientific publications continue to be promoted on campus. The Master’s Program in Literature at the Faculty of Cultural Sciences, Universitas Gadjah Mada organized a “Scientific Article Writing Workshop: Strategies for Publishing in Reputable Journals” on Monday, February 23, 2026, in Room 709 Soegondo, Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM.
The event, which took place from 12:30 to 15:00 WIB, featured a scholar in cultural and gender studies, Wening Udasmoro, as the main speaker. The workshop aimed to enhance the ability of young academics to write scientific articles capable of competing in reputable international journals.
In her presentation, Wening emphasized that academic publishing is not merely about techniques or quick strategies to get articles accepted by journals. According to her, writing in reputable journals is an important process for testing the intellectual quality of an academic before a broader scholarly community.
She stressed that academic publication should be viewed as a process of learning and intellectual development rather than simply fulfilling administrative academic requirements. Through publication, scholars’ ideas can be read and critically examined by researchers from various universities and countries, thereby enriching academic discourse.
During the session, participants were introduced to the importance of problematization in research. Wening explained that strong research generally begins with social or cultural phenomena that attract attention and generate scholarly questions.
She illustrated how contemporary phenomena—such as the display of luxurious lifestyles on social media—can become entry points for research relevant to current social dynamics. Researchers are encouraged not merely to find objects that have not yet been analyzed but to develop new perspectives that make their research academically significant.
In addition to formulating research problems, participants were also equipped with an understanding of the importance of a strong literature review. The workshop highlighted that scientific research must be built upon a dialogue with theories and previous studies.
Several theoretical frameworks can be used to analyze social phenomena, including the concept of conspicuous consumption, the symbolic value of goods (sign value), and modern consumer culture. These theoretical frameworks help researchers interpret social phenomena in a more critical and systematic way.
Through this training, it is hoped that postgraduate students will be able to produce scientific articles that not only meet academic standards but also contribute to the advancement of knowledge and provide solutions to various social issues.
The workshop was enthusiastically welcomed by the Master’s students in Literature who attended. The discussion was highly interactive, particularly when participants explored strategies for identifying research topics with novelty and academic relevance.
Through initiatives such as this, the Faculty of Cultural Sciences UGM seeks to strengthen a critical, reflective, and productive academic culture in producing high-quality scientific publications at both national and international levels.
Author: Khotibul Umam
