Indexing and Impact Factor

The Review of Applied Science and Technology (RAST) is committed to ensuring the visibility, discoverability, and scholarly impact of every article it publishes. As part of our mission to promote open and applied research globally, we actively pursue inclusion in recognized academic indexing platforms, bibliographic databases, and citation tracking services.

This section outlines our current indexing status, impact visibility efforts, planned inclusions, and the journal’s long-term strategy to secure an official Impact Factor.

 

1. Why Indexing Matters

Academic indexing is essential to the life cycle of a published article. Indexing services provide organized and searchable access to scholarly content, thereby increasing the reach and usability of published research. Inclusion in prestigious databases affirms a journal’s quality, consistency, and contribution to the global research ecosystem.

For authors, indexing benefits include:

  • Higher visibility and readership
  • Greater citation opportunities
  • Institutional recognition and credit
  • Easier inclusion in academic evaluations, grant proposals, and tenure reviews

 

2. Current Indexing Platforms

RAST is already indexed or archived in the following trusted repositories and academic discovery platforms:

  • Google Scholar – All articles are searchable and citable, enabling global academic reach.
  • CrossRef (DOI Registration) – Each article receives a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), allowing for permanent linking, citation tracking, and metadata integration.
  • Scilit – Articles are indexed through this MDPI-supported scientific database for enhanced discoverability.
  • BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine) – Ensures visibility in one of the world’s largest academic search engines for open-access content.
  • WorldCat – Enables library and catalog access to RAST articles for university and research institutions.
  • Internet Archive & LOCKSS/CLOCKSS – Guarantees permanent preservation and digital continuity of journal content.

These indexing services provide essential global reach and citation potential for authors publishing with RAST.

 

3. Indexing Goals: Under Review & Upcoming Applications

As part of our strategic expansion, RAST is actively pursuing inclusion in the following high-impact abstracting and indexing databases:

a. Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)

Recognized globally for verifying the quality of open-access journals, DOAJ listing enhances transparency, legitimacy, and access.

b. EBSCOhost and ProQuest

Widely used by universities and libraries around the world, these databases integrate journal content into institutional research workflows.

c. Scopus (Elsevier)

One of the largest abstract and citation databases for peer-reviewed literature, Scopus indexing enables direct citation analysis, h-index calculation, and research visibility.

d. Web of Science – Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)

Inclusion in ESCI by Clarivate Analytics is the first step toward qualifying for a formal Journal Impact Factor.

To qualify, RAST continues to build a strong editorial and reviewer network, enhance article quality, and ensure timely publication consistency.

 

4. Beyond the Impact Factor: Measuring Research Visibility

While acquiring an official Journal Impact Factor (JIF) from Clarivate is a long-term goal, RAST uses a multi-metric strategy to track and enhance the real-world impact of published research:

a. Google Scholar Metrics

Articles are indexed and citation-tracked, allowing authors to monitor h-index contributions and citation trends.

b. DOI-Based Citation Tracking via CrossRef

Each article’s DOI allows accurate referencing and interlinking in other publications, databases, and institutional repositories.

c. Altmetrics and Usage Data

We are integrating tools to provide:

  • Download and view statistics
  • Social media mentions
  • Mendeley readers and bookmarks
  • Policy or syllabus citations

These alternative metrics give a fuller picture of an article’s academic and societal reach.

 

5. Strategies to Enhance Citation and Impact

To improve article visibility and long-term citation performance, RAST actively:

  • Promotes published articles on academic networks and social media
  • Encourages authors to link articles in institutional repositories and academic CVs
  • Partners with research societies, technical institutions, and conferences to feature selected papers
  • Publishes themed issues on high-impact topics with guest editors and multidisciplinary focus
  • Engages with citation tools like Dimensions.ai and ORCID integration to increase author discoverability

Authors are also encouraged to cite relevant RAST articles when submitting new manuscripts, thereby contributing to the journal’s citation ecosystem.

 

6. Archiving and Preservation

RAST ensures that all published content remains permanently accessible by archiving it in the following long-term preservation systems:

  • LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe)
  • CLOCKSS (Controlled LOCKSS)
  • Internet Archive
  • PKP Preservation Network
  • Local Repository Integration (via OAI-PMH)

These systems protect the integrity and availability of scientific research in the event of technical failure, ownership changes, or access disruptions.

 

7. Roadmap to Formal Impact Factor

The following steps outline RAST’s strategic pathway toward acquiring an Impact Factor:

  1. Year 1–2: Build a consistent publication record (at least 3–4 issues/year) and establish baseline citation data.
  2. Year 2–3: Apply to DOAJ, Scopus, and ESCI; expand editorial board and peer review network.
  3. Year 4: Attain ESCI listing and accumulate two years of citation data for Clarivate’s annual review.
  4. Year 5: Apply for full inclusion in the Science Citation Index (SCI/SCIE) and qualify for Journal Impact Factor evaluation.

This process reflects the standard indexing trajectory for high-quality open-access journals committed to transparency, ethics, and scholarly value.

 

8. Author and Institutional Benefits

Publishing in an indexed journal like RAST offers several benefits:

  • Increased exposure and recognition in international academia
  • Enhanced citation and altmetric tracking
  • Compliance with open-access and funder mandates
  • Easy inclusion in university rankings and academic reports
  • Stronger support for tenure, promotion, and grant applications

RAST supports institutional visibility by partnering with university repositories and promoting author affiliations in global indexing databases.