The Independent and Open Science Research Network
A Diamond Open Access journal with zero fees for authors and zero paywalls for readers. Rigorous peer review, fully independent of commercial publishers.
Academic publishing is a multi-billion dollar industry built on publicly funded research — where scientists write for free, review for free, and then pay to access the results of their own work. RICAI exists to build an alternative.
Traditional open-access models rely on APCs that force investigators to spend $1,500–$12,000 per article to publish their outputs. This systematically excludes independent researchers, early-career scientists, and institutions in the Global South — the exact communities RICAI serves.
Commercial publishing networks profit from public-funded research by locking peer-reviewed findings behind premium subscription walls. A researcher in Latin America or Sub-Saharan Africa often cannot access the very literature their field is built on — unless their institution pays millions per year in subscription fees.
The entire evaluation infrastructure of science depends on the uncompensated intellectual labor of academic reviewers — who read, critique, and validate manuscripts for free — while commercial publishers retain full financial control and charge both sides of the transaction.
To resolve these systemic barriers, RICAI is developing its own independent editorial framework. This upcoming journal will operate under a strict Diamond Open Access model — meaning it will be completely free of charge for both authors and readers, forever.
By eliminating processing fees and institutional gatekeeping, the RICAI Journal aims to establish a peer-reviewed repository where methodological rigor and scientific clarity are the sole criteria for publication — not your institution's prestige or your access to funding.
Authors never pay to publish. No submission fees, no APC, no hidden costs — ever.
Every article is immediately and permanently free to read, download, and share worldwide.
Open review process where methodology and scientific clarity — not prestige — determine publication.
International reviewers from diverse institutional backgrounds — no single institution controls the process.
These principles are non-negotiable — they define what makes the RICAI Journal different from every commercial alternative.
Articles are accepted or rejected based exclusively on methodological rigor, scientific clarity, and contribution to knowledge. Institutional affiliation, funding source, and author prestige play no role in editorial decisions.
We actively seek research from underrepresented regions. The scientific community has a geographic bias problem — we treat diversity of research origin as a quality indicator, not an afterthought.
All published research must adhere to open data and reproducibility standards. Code, datasets, and methodological protocols are published alongside articles whenever possible.
No advertising, no sponsored content, no influence from pharmaceutical companies, agribusiness, or any commercial entity. Editorial independence is structural, not a policy — it is built into how the journal is funded and governed.
The RICAI Journal is being built in phases. Here is the current state and what comes next.
RICAI's open science identity, mission, and editorial values formally defined. Network infrastructure established with active researchers across 11 countries. Diamond OA model selected and committed to.
CompletedRecruiting expert reviewers and editors across RICAI's 5 research clusters and 17 lines. Establishing scope, submission guidelines, and peer review protocols. Building the infrastructure for transparent, decentralized editorial governance.
In ProgressBuilding the submission, review, and publication platform. Open-source, accessible on any device, fully multilingual. Integration with ORCID, CrossRef DOI assignment, and major indexing databases.
UpcomingPublication of the inaugural issue, featuring peer-reviewed outputs from RICAI's core research projects. Full public launch with indexing applications submitted to DOAJ, PubMed Central, and Scopus.
Coming SoonThe RICAI Journal is being built by the community, for the community. Whether you want to submit research, join the editorial board, or simply stay informed — there is a role for you.
All journal updates go to registered RICAI members first. No spam — only meaningful announcements.