The International Center for Promoting Knowledge (ICPK) separates its publishing, administrative, and commercial interests from its journals’ editorial decisions. This editorial independence policy protects scholarly decisions from financial, institutional, personal, and other improper influence.

Each journal is led by an Editor-in-Chief supported by an editorial board. Authority over what is published rests with that journal’s editorial leadership. ICPK provides publishing infrastructure, policy, and administrative support. It does not review manuscripts, participate in accept-or-reject decisions, or instruct editors to reach a particular outcome.

Editorial authority and impartial decisions

Editors assess submissions according to scholarly merit, relevance, integrity, and the journal’s published requirements. Decisions are not affected by an author’s nationality, institution, seniority, or professional relationship with the editorial team.

An editor must take no part in handling a submission where a competing interest could affect impartial judgement. This includes co-authorship, an institutional connection, a personal relationship, or a financial interest. The submission is reassigned to an appropriate editor without that interest.

ICPK follows widely used principles of transparency and best practice as a matter of practice; it is not a COPE member. Related responsibilities are set out in the Publication Ethics policy.

Separation of charges from editorial assessment

Nothing is charged to submit. Where a journal levies an article processing charge, it becomes payable only after acceptance and is governed by that journal’s published charges information.

During assessment, editors and reviewers are not informed of the author’s payment status, waiver request, or funding position. A manuscript is never accepted because a charge was paid or rejected because it was not. A waiver request or lack of funding cannot affect the decision.

ICPK does not accept payment to publish material outside the normal editorial process. It does not sell reprints in exchange for editorial consideration and does not publish externally controlled supplements. Further information about the publishing model is available in Open Access & Licensing.

Advertising and sponsored influence

ICPK journal sites carry no advertising, sponsored content, or paid placement. No advertiser or sponsor has influence over editorial content or decisions.

If advertising were ever introduced, it would be clearly identified and separate from scholarly content. It would never be sold on the basis of, placed against, or targeted to a specific article. Its purchase would confer no editorial access, favourable treatment, or influence. Any such arrangement would remain behind the revenue–editorial firewall.

Raising a suspected breach

Anyone who suspects that an editorial decision was affected by commercial, administrative, institutional, or personal influence may raise the matter under ICPK’s Complaints & Appeals procedure. The concern should identify the journal, submission or publication where applicable, the decision or conduct questioned, and the available supporting information. Concerns will be considered through the appropriate process without allowing the subject of the complaint to control its assessment.