Journal History

Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum is a peer-reviewed academic journal that has evolved alongside institutional transformation and the development of legal scholarship within Indonesia’s state Islamic higher education system. The journal was first published in print form in 2005 by the Department of Sharia and Islamic Economics, State Islamic College (STAIN) Jurai Siwo Metro.

In its early stage, Istinbath served as an academic medium to support the development of Islamic law studies and to disseminate scholarly works by faculty members. Following institutional restructuring, the Department of Sharia and Islamic Economics developed into the Faculty of Sharia, while Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum continued its academic publication tradition in the field of law and sharia studies.

Since 2015, Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum has transitioned from a print-based publication to an online journal using the Open Journal System (OJS). This transition improved accessibility, editorial transparency, scholarly dissemination, and journal governance through a more systematic peer-review process.

Institutionally, the journal has also developed alongside the transformation of its parent institution. The former STAIN Jurai Siwo Metro became IAIN Metro, which was subsequently transformed into UIN Jurai Siwo Lampung in 2025. Throughout this transformation, Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum has continuously maintained its publication under the Faculty of Sharia.

Institutional Affiliation by Publication Period

Istinbath Issue Period Institutional Affiliation Publisher
Vol. 12 No. 1 (2015) – Vol. 22 No. 1 (2025) IAIN Metro Faculty of Sharia, IAIN Metro
Vol. 22 No. 2 (2025) – Present UIN Jurai Siwo Lampung Faculty of Sharia, UIN Jurai Siwo Lampung

 

Accordingly, Vol. 22 No. 1 (2025) represents the last issue published under the Faculty of Sharia, IAIN Metro, while Vol. 22 No. 2 (2025) represents the first issue published under the Faculty of Sharia, UIN Jurai Siwo Lampung.

The institutional transformation did not change the journal’s academic continuity. Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum remains managed and published by the Faculty of Sharia, while continuously strengthening its editorial governance, academic quality, and international visibility.


Development and Internationalization of Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum

  1. Initial Focus on Islamic Law
    Initially, Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum focused on Islamic law, including family law, Islamic economic law, Islamic criminal law, and contemporary legal issues. During this period, the journal primarily served a national academic readership and contributed to the development of legal and sharia scholarship in Indonesia.

  2. Internationalization of Article Metadata (Since 2020)
    In response to increasing standards of journal governance and international visibility, since 2020 Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum has adopted English titles, abstracts, and keywords. This policy was intended to broaden the journal’s accessibility, improve discoverability, and increase its relevance to international readers and researchers.

  3. Full-English Publication Policy (Since June 2023)
    A major step toward internationalization was taken in June 2023, when Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum began publishing 100% of its articles in English. This policy strengthened the journal’s international orientation, encouraged contributions from authors from different countries, and enhanced its global academic visibility.

  4. Indexing and Academic Visibility
    The journal has progressively expanded its presence in national and international academic databases. Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum is indexed in several databases and scholarly platforms, including Google Scholar, Garuda, Moraref, CrossRef, and Dimensions. These indexing services have contributed to wider dissemination, citation visibility, and accessibility of the journal’s published articles.

  5. Expansion of Scope (2025)
    In line with global academic developments and the increasing diversity of legal scholarship, in 2025 the journal strategically expanded its focus from Islamic law to general law. Nevertheless, Islamic law remains an important part of the journal’s historical and academic identity. This development enables Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum to accommodate broader discussions in legal studies while maintaining its established scholarly tradition.

  6. Twenty Years of Publication
    In 2025, Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum marked its 20th year of publication. This milestone reflects the journal’s institutional continuity, editorial development, and commitment to strengthening legal scholarship. Over two decades, the journal has evolved from a locally oriented print publication into an online academic journal with increasing national and international visibility.

  7. Accepted for Scopus Coverage (12 July 2026)
    On 12 July 2026, Istinbath: Jurnal Hukum was officially accepted for Scopus coverage following evaluation by the Scopus Content Selection & Advisory Board (CSAB). This achievement represents an important milestone in the journal’s internationalization and confirms its continued commitment to academic quality, editorial governance, publication standards, and scholarly contribution. The acceptance is expected to further strengthen the journal’s visibility, credibility, and contribution to legal scholarship at the national, regional, and global levels.