Histma, established in 1992, underwent significant changes since its inception. Initially, Histma was a platform that featured writings by reputable historians, including Sartono Kartodirdjo, Suhartono, Djoko Surjo, Mestika Zed, Sarwono Pusposaputro, Suyatno Kartodirdjo, Hari Poerwanto, Sri Margana, and Arief Akhyat. The early editions of Histma explored themes that have now become classics in Indonesian historiography, such as "Youth & Change" (No. 2/II/1992) and "Colonial Period People's Economy" (No. 1/IV/1994), covering various categories like "Themes," "Academics," "Release," and "Characters." Histma was distributed with an ISSN number 0854-1558 for IDR 1,500.00.
Unfortunately, there are limited archival records available to understand the transformation of Histma during the first decade of the 21st century. According to oral sources, an attempt to revive Histma was made in 2006, but it did not sustain for long. After publishing one edition, Histma went silent. It resurfaced with a new format in 2011, no longer receiving significant contributions from professional historians. Instead, Histma aimed to provide a learning space for students in the History Department of the Faculty of Cultural Sciences (FIB) at Gadjah Mada University (UGM). In 2013, Histma expanded its reach by inviting FIB UGM students to submit papers.
The second attempt to revitalize Histma was more successful. After publishing Volume 1 with the theme "Modernity in Indonesian History" in July 2011, Histma continued with three subsequent editions: "Indonesia and the World" (2012), "Faces of Past Violence" (2013), and "Women and the Country" (2014). Histma, under ISSN number 2301-7155, was sold for IDR 15,000 to cover production costs. In addition to articles, Histma organized thematic discussions and film screenings to promote knowledge dissemination. Each issue was launched through a thematic discussion, including one event featured in Kompas. Histma also started exploring social media and websites.
However, Histma struggled to consistently publish more than four editions. It went through a period of inactivity from 2016 to 2017 but made a successful comeback in 2017 with the theme "Children in Indonesian Historiography," collecting manuscripts through a call for papers. Despite ongoing discussions, Histma faced difficulties in releasing subsequent issues for four years. After a hiatus until the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, Histma resumed publication in 2021 with the theme "Migration and Diaspora," compiling summaries of undergraduate thesis manuscripts from UGM's History Department. A similar format edition titled "Nature and Humans in Three Centuries" is scheduled for 2022. Histma post-2021 is priced at IDR 30-35,000.00.
To meet the needs of readers, student capabilities, and digital transformation, Histma is reorienting itself in 2023. It aims to optimize its role as a platform for student scientific publications and historical knowledge dissemination. Histma is pioneering an open journal system accessible to all, publishing two volumes per year. The first volume showcases texts written by UGM History Department students as part of their Historical Method and Historical Writing Practice course. The second volume will have a thematic call for papers, inviting students interested in history from various institutions across Indonesia.
