Thank you for your question, Raiyan. You're right—ResearchGate used to allow direct messaging more openly, but in recent years they’ve limited that feature to help manage platform misuse.

Currently, you can only send messages to scholars who follow you or those with whom you’ve previously collaborated or interacted (e.g., co-authors or project members). If the message icon doesn't appear on their profile, it means messaging is disabled for that connection.

A few suggestions:

• Try following the researcher first. If they follow you back, messaging becomes possible.
• Alternatively, look for their email in their profile, publication PDFs, or personal university pages if public.
• If you're reaching out for collaboration, a polite public comment under one of their papers or discussions can also initiate contact.

Hope this helps!