Publication Frequency and Open Access Policy

The Review of Applied Science and Technology (RAST) is an international, peer-reviewed, open-access journal dedicated to advancing applied scientific knowledge and technological innovation. To support the timely dissemination of impactful research and ensure equitable access to scientific findings, RAST follows a consistent publication frequency and adheres to a full open-access model.

This section outlines the journal’s publication schedule, open-access commitment, licensing terms, archiving policies, and the broader principles that guide its approach to knowledge sharing in the 21st century.

 

1.  Publication Frequency

RAST follows a quarterly publication cycle, with four regular issues published each year in the following months:

  • March – Issue 1
  • June – Issue 2
  • September – Issue 3
  • December – Issue 4

Each issue contains a curated collection of original research articles, review papers, technical notes, and case studies spanning diverse fields of applied science and engineering technology. This regular schedule allows authors to plan their submissions and readers to expect consistent content throughout the year.

In addition to regular issues, the journal occasionally publishes special themed issues dedicated to emerging topics, international symposia, or industry-academia collaborations. These issues follow the same rigorous editorial and peer-review processes as regular issues.

 

2. Online-First Publication

RAST embraces a continuous publication model through Online First availability. Accepted manuscripts are published online as soon as they complete copyediting, typesetting, and author proof approval—often within days of acceptance.

Benefits of Online First include:

  • Immediate citation and dissemination
  • Early visibility in academic and industry communities
  • Timely recognition of groundbreaking or time-sensitive research

Once the full issue is compiled, the Online First articles are formally assigned to that issue’s table of contents.

 

3. Open Access Policy

RAST is a fully open-access journal, committed to democratizing access to scientific knowledge and promoting global equity in research dissemination. Under this model:

  • All articles are freely available to read, download, and share immediately upon publication.
  • There are no subscription fees, access restrictions, or paywalls for readers.
  • Authors retain copyright and grant the public the right to use and distribute their work under a permissive license.

This approach maximizes the reach, usability, and impact of each article while ensuring that readers from all parts of the world—regardless of economic or institutional status—can benefit from the published research.

 

4. Licensing Terms

All content published in RAST is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0). This license permits:

  • Reuse for any purpose, including commercial applications
  • Distribution via digital or print formats
  • Adaptation and translation into derivative works
  • Educational and institutional usage in classrooms, syllabi, and repositories

The only requirement is that proper credit is given to the original authors and source journal, and any modifications are clearly indicated. This license aligns with major funding agency mandates, such as those from the NIH, ERC, Horizon Europe, and Wellcome Trust.

 

5. Long-Term Archiving and Accessibility

To ensure long-term preservation of published content, RAST partners with established digital archiving services and repositories. Articles are archived in:

  • LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe)
  • CLOCKSS (Controlled LOCKSS)
  • PKP Preservation Network
  • Internet Archive

These partnerships guarantee permanent availability and protection against data loss, journal closure, or technical failure. Metadata is made available in standard formats (Dublin Core, OAI-PMH) for harvesting by institutional repositories and academic search engines.

 

6. Benefits of Open Access for Authors and Readers

RAST’s open-access model provides distinct advantages:

For Authors:

  • Increased visibility and citation rates
  • Compliance with funder mandates
  • Greater global reach, including developing regions
  • Immediate integration into Google Scholar, Scilit, and other databases
  • Free access to article metrics and usage reports

For Readers:

  • Free and permanent access to cutting-edge applied science
  • No institutional login or subscription required
  • Ability to share, distribute, and adapt research openly
  • Greater inclusivity for independent researchers, NGOs, and educators

 

7. Equitable Knowledge Dissemination

As part of its mission to foster equitable access to research, RAST actively supports:

  • Authors from low- and middle-income countries through APC waivers
  • Researchers from non-traditional academic institutions or underrepresented communities
  • Open access to education, innovation, and sustainability research that benefits society at large
  • Language accessibility initiatives for translation and local adaptation of technical content

The journal encourages the reuse of its content in open educational resources (OER), policy briefs, industry training, and academic syllabi—further amplifying real-world impact.

 

8. No Embargo Period

Unlike hybrid or delayed-access journals, RAST does not impose an embargo on any content. All articles are:

  • Published immediately upon final approval
  • Publicly accessible without delay
  • Archived and indexed for global discoverability

There is no distinction between premium and standard access; all readers receive the same immediate benefits.

 

9.  Promotion and Citation Support

To support the dissemination and citation of published work, RAST provides:

  • Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) via CrossRef
  • Integration with Google Scholar, BASE, WorldCat, and Scilit
  • Metadata formatting for ORCID, Mendeley, and Zotero
  • Social media announcements and academic network sharing
  • Tools to track usage, views, and altmetrics

Authors are encouraged to promote their work via institutional repositories, research profiles, and academic presentations.

 

10.  Compliance with International Open Access Standards

RAST’s open-access policy aligns with:

  • Plan S (cOAlition S)
  • Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI)
  • Berlin Declaration on Open Access
  • UNESCO Open Science Recommendation
  • Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) guidelines

Authors funded by open-access-mandating agencies can publish in RAST with full compliance, and we offer documentation to support grant reporting or institutional reviews.