About the Journal

Journal Title : JTOP-RI: Journal of Tolo Pihi and Rural Innovation
Initial : JTOP-RI
Language : Indonesia and English
e-ISSN : xxxx-xxxx
DOI : https://doi.org/10.55681/elkatarie by  
Publisher : LPPM Institut Elkatarie
Editor-in-chief : Ishep Tahta Maulana
Email : jtop-ri@elkatarie.ac.id
Citation Analysis : Sinta | Google Scholar  |  Garuda

JTOP-RI: Journal of Tolo Pihi and Rural Innovation is a peer-reviewed, open-access international journal dedicated to publishing pioneering research at the critical intersection of rural development, indigenous knowledge systems (encapsulated by the local wisdom philosophy of Tolo Pihi), and grassroots socio-technological innovation. Positioned as a premier multidisciplinary scholarly forum, the journal serves rural sociologists, agricultural extension workers, development economists, environmental scientists, and regional policymakers worldwide. JTOP-RI prioritizes macro-level rural evaluations, rigorous empirical field research, and innovative community-based frameworks that address the complex challenges of poverty alleviation, food security, and ecological sustainability in non-urban landscapes. By bridging traditional rural epistemologies with contemporary, applied technological solutions, the journal fosters a deep, comprehensive understanding of how to empower rural communities, revitalize local economies, and build socio-ecological resilience from the ground up.

Scope and Topics

The journal welcomes high-quality original research articles, critical literature reviews, and empirical field studies that offer significant contributions to the following thematic areas:

  • Local Wisdom & Rural Sociology (Tolo Pihi Perspectives): The integration of indigenous knowledge into modern development, cultural preservation, rural community dynamics, social capital, and grassroots empowerment strategies.

  • Agricultural & Rural Technological Innovation: Appropriate technology for smallholder farmers, sustainable agribusiness models, climate-smart agriculture, and the implementation of digital tools in rural settings.

  • Rural Economy & Micro-Enterprise Development: Rural cooperatives, microfinance, supply chain optimization for local commodities, rural tourism (village tourism), and strategies for rural economic diversification.

  • Environmental Conservation & Resource Management: Sustainable land use, watershed management, biodiversity preservation in rural areas, and community-led climate change adaptation.

  • Rural Governance, Policy, and Spatial Planning: Village governance reform, rural infrastructure development, agrarian policy analysis, and spatial planning for sustainable rural-urban linkages.

Publication Frequency

To ensure rigorous editorial oversight, thorough peer review, and timely dissemination of critical rural and developmental research, JTOP-RI is published semi-annually (2 issues per year, typically scheduled for release in June and December). Special thematic issues focusing on urgent localized climate impacts, breakthrough rural technologies, or significant shifts in agrarian policy may be commissioned by the Editorial Board.

Peer Review Process

JTOP-RI enforces a strict double-blind peer review policy to maintain the highest standards of academic integrity, analytical objectivity, and empirical validity.

  • Initial Desk Evaluation: Every submission undergoes a preliminary screening by the Editor-in-Chief or a relevant Subject Editor to assess thematic alignment, methodological soundness (qualitative, quantitative, participatory action research, or mixed-methods), and structural compliance. Plagiarism screening via Turnitin/iThenticate is strictly executed at this stage, requiring a similarity index below the journal's maximum threshold.

  • Expert Peer Review: Manuscripts passing the desk evaluation are anonymized and assigned to at least two independent international reviewers who are established academic experts or senior practitioners in the specific domain of rural studies, agriculture, or socio-economic development.

  • Editorial Decision: Based on the reviewers' recommendations, the Editorial Board renders one of four decisions: Acceptance, Revisions Required (Minor/Major), Resubmit for Review, or Rejection. The final decision rests entirely on the intellectual merit, theoretical rigor, and practical applicability of the work to rural community advancement.

Mission Statement

The mission of JTOP-RI is to deconstruct systemic urban-centric developmental biases and catalyze transformative, equitable, and sustainable progress within rural communities globally. Grounded in the philosophy that profound local wisdom (Tolo Pihi) and targeted technological innovations are the absolute anchors for rural resilience, food sovereignty, and social equity, the journal aims to democratize advanced developmental knowledge by providing an unrestricted, high-impact platform for global scholarly dialogue. Through the promotion of diverse and rigorous methodological approaches—encompassing participatory rural appraisals, ethnographic fieldwork, and socio-economic modeling—JTOP-RI seeks to empower rural populations, inspire developmental policymakers, and shape future-proof, inclusive agrarian and rural policies worldwide.

JTOP-RI: Journal of Tolo Pihi and Rural Innovation is indexed and/or available catalogue in: