Sustaining a research home
Open research should be accessible. But reviewing applications, maintaining a researcher website and operating an email service all require continuing work. RIFOR charges for that service—not for permission to be a researcher.
We review research links, the applicant's contribution and intended use of affiliation, and request clarification when needed. Maintaining accurate membership records and handling misuse also takes operator time. This is a membership review, not peer review of scientific conclusions.
Public profiles need hosting, domain administration, updates and corrections. Members can choose a public page or private membership; a public listing is not a condition of receiving the agreed services.
An @rifor.org address needs a working mailbox behind it: storage, server operation, security maintenance, abuse controls and account support. Creating an address is only the first step.
Review should use only the information necessary for membership. Profile publication requires consent, and private membership is included at no extra cost. Corrections, access handling and support still require care even when there is no public profile.
The fee supports this combined service. It is not a published itemized cost breakdown or a guarantee of uninterrupted or lifetime service. The membership agreement defines the relationship.
It means treating a research mailbox as correspondence infrastructure, not as a reason to publish the member's identity or research details. RIFOR administers the mailbox and provides secure connection settings in the Email Setup Guide. A public researcher profile remains optional.
This is not a claim of anonymous email, end-to-end encryption, zero-access storage or absolute confidentiality. Standard mail involves the sender's and recipient's providers, and server administration or legal obligations may require access. SSL/TLS connections are not the same as end-to-end message encryption. Do not assume that ordinary email is suitable for highly sensitive research material. Read our privacy approach before choosing the service.
You should use free scholarly infrastructure when it meets your needs. These services solve different problems; RIFOR is not a replacement for either.
Individuals can register and maintain an ORCID iD for free. It connects a person with their research record across career changes. An ORCID record can describe affiliations; creating one does not create a RIFOR membership, an institutional appointment or a managed @rifor.org mailbox. ORCID's explanation of free researcher accounts.
Zenodo supports depositing and sharing research artifacts, with DOI-based citation and preservation infrastructure. It is for research outputs, not RIFOR membership or a personal research mailbox. Uploads remain subject to Zenodo's policies; a DOI is not proof of peer review or a new institutional affiliation. About Zenodo · Repository policies · DOIs and infrastructure principles.
RIFOR combines a defined research-membership relationship, an email account and hosted researcher-profile support. The fee supports reviewing and administering that relationship and operating the services. It does not make a member's research more correct or guarantee acceptance by another platform.
A practical combination is ORCID for your identifier, Zenodo for suitable research outputs, and RIFOR only if you need the additional membership and correspondence infrastructure. If ORCID, a repository and your existing email already meet your needs, you may not need a paid RIFOR membership.
Applications are reviewed before payment. A fee is not a shortcut around review, and affiliation must be described truthfully. Membership is not employment, a fellowship, a degree, accreditation, ethics approval, journal peer review or endorsement of a member's findings. It does not guarantee publication, funding or acceptance of an email domain by third-party services.
Members retain ownership of their work. RIFOR affiliation does not provide plagiarism monitoring or legal enforcement. See what we review and the limits of affiliation.
US$99.90 US$49.90 for your first year
US$49.90 for your first year of individual membership, then US$99.90/year. No automatic renewal or charge.
We are welcoming founding members through a complimentary pilot. Selected approved applicants receive membership, a research email and a hosted profile at no charge.
Pilot places are offered after application review. Your invitation confirms the duration and included services. Any paid continuation requires your agreement.
Selected applicants may also receive complimentary Founding Member Pilot access by invitation. See the membership page for current options.