About Us

The African Research Visibility Initiative (AfricaRVI) is a federally incorporated nonprofit organization in Canada, dedicated to strengthening the visibility, accessibility, and global impact of African scholarship. We exist to ensure that research produced on the continent is not only created, but seen, used, and valued within the global knowledge ecosystem.

AfricaRVI bridges the persistent gap between African research output and its global discoverability by combining digital infrastructure, capacity building, and collaborative partnerships. Our work empowers researchers, institutions, and research stakeholders across Africa to participate fully and confidently in the international scholarly communication landscape.

Our Mission

To enhance the visibility, accessibility, and influence of African research by providing tools, training, and platforms that support high‑quality scholarly communication, digital scholarship, and research capacity development.

What We Do

1. African Scholarship Citation Index (ASCI)

We advance teaching, research, and education by developing the African Scholarship Citation Index (ASCI) a searchable academic database that provides downloadable research‑assessment data and improves online access to carefully curated research published in and about Africa. which comprises of the:

  • African Scholarly Journals Citation Index (ASJCI)
  • African Scholarly Data Citation Index (ASDCI)
  • African Scholarly Theses Citation Index (ASTCI)
  • African Scholarly Books Citation Index (ASBCI)
  • African Scholarly Conference Citation Index (ASCCI)
  • African Scholarly Chemical Citation Index (ASChemCI)

2. Digital Infrastructure for Scholarly Communication

We design, maintain, and provide digital infrastructure that supports research publishing, scholarly communication, and the dissemination of knowledge across Africa’s research ecosystem.

3. Strengthening Academic Publishing Ecosystems

We support the growth and sustainability of African scholarly publishing by:

  • Assisting journal publishing initiatives
  • Developing research metadata systems
  • Conducting research, partnerships, and related activities that enhance the quality and visibility of African scholarship

4. Capacity Building and Institutional Support

We provide training, capacity building, and institutional support for editors, publishers, research managers, and other academic publishing stakeholders. Our programs help raise the quality of African scholarly publications to global standards and improve their prospects for indexing in mainstream international databases.

5. Integrating African Research into Global Infrastructures

We promote access to African research and research‑assessment data by collaborating with stakeholders to integrate African research metadata into global scholarly infrastructures such as Crossref, OpenCitations, and related systems.

6. Ancillary and Supporting Activities

We undertake additional activities that are necessary, supportive, or incidental to achieving our core purposes and advancing the visibility and impact of African research.

Our Vision

A world where African research is fully represented, globally discoverable, and influential in shaping knowledge, policy, and innovation.

Our Values

  • Equity: We champion fair representation of African scholarship in global knowledge systems.
  • Integrity: We uphold rigorous, transparent, and ethical research practices.
  • Collaboration: We believe in collective progress through partnerships and shared expertise.
  • Innovation: We embrace digital tools and creative solutions that strengthen research ecosystems.
  • Impact: We focus on measurable improvements in visibility, capacity, and scholarly engagement.

Who We Serve

AfricaRVI supports:

  • Researchers across all disciplines
  • Research managers and administrators
  • Universities and research institutions
  • Scholarly publishers and libraries
  • Funders, policymakers, and research stakeholders

Our work is designed for the people who create, manage, and rely on research to drive development and innovation across Africa.