Terms of Use

These terms of use govern access to and use of the publisher website of the International Center for Promoting Knowledge (ICPK), at theicpk.org, and the journal websites operated by ICPK (together, the “sites”). ICPK is a registered legal entity in Bangladesh and is the contracting party under these terms.

By accessing, browsing, creating an account on, or otherwise using any of the sites, you indicate that you accept these website terms and conditions. If you do not accept them, you should not use the sites.

These terms should be read together with ICPK’s Privacy Policy, which explains how ICPK handles personal data. Separate journal pages may provide journal-specific author guidelines, copyright and licence terms, charges, and submission requirements. Applicable journal-specific rules supplement these terms.

1. About ICPK and the sites

ICPK provides publishing infrastructure, publisher-level policy, and administrative support. Editorial authority belongs to each journal’s Editor-in-Chief and editorial board. ICPK does not review manuscripts or participate in decisions to accept or reject them.

The sites provide information about ICPK and its journals, published articles and archives, and, where available, author submission and account facilities.

2. Permitted use

You may use the sites for lawful scholarly, educational, professional, and personal purposes. You must not:

interfere with the security, availability, or normal operation of a site;
attempt to gain unauthorised access to an account, system, or restricted area;
introduce malware, harmful code, or automated traffic intended to disrupt a service;
use the sites to submit fraudulent, unlawful, infringing, or deliberately misleading material; or
misrepresent your identity, affiliation, authority, or relationship with ICPK or any journal.

3. Published articles and content reuse terms

Articles published by ICPK journals are fully open access. They may be read, downloaded, copied, distributed, and cited under the licence identified on the relevant journal’s copyright page and article record, provided that the authors and source are properly credited and all licence conditions are followed.

Licence terms are set by each journal rather than at publisher level. Users should check the applicable journal copyright page and article record before reusing content. Reuse outside the stated licence requires permission from the copyright holder, normally the author. Further information is available in ICPK’s Open Access & Licensing Policy.

Text and data mining is permitted where consistent with the applicable article licence and law. Automated bulk access, scraping, or downloading that places an unreasonable load on ICPK servers requires prior agreement. Requests may be sent to info@theicpk.org. ICPK may restrict activity that threatens site performance, security, or other users’ access.

4. Branding and non-article material

Open-access article licences do not automatically cover ICPK or journal names and logos, publisher or journal page text, navigation, graphics, or site design. Unless a separate notice states otherwise, these elements may not be copied, adapted, or reproduced in a manner that implies endorsement, partnership, approval, or affiliation.

Nothing in these terms grants a right to use ICPK or journal branding as a trademark, identity mark, or source identifier. Accurate references and links to ICPK or a journal are permitted when they do not create a misleading impression.

5. User accounts

You must provide accurate and current information when creating or using an account. You are responsible for protecting your credentials and for activity carried out through your account. Accounts are personal and must not be shared.

Notify ICPK promptly at info@theicpk.org if you believe an account or credential has been compromised. ICPK may suspend or close an account used to submit fraudulent material, misrepresent an identity or affiliation, gain unauthorised access, or interfere with site operation.

6. Manuscript submissions

By submitting a manuscript, the corresponding author confirms on behalf of the authors that:

the work is original and is not under consideration elsewhere;
every listed author has agreed to the submission and approved the submitted version;
the author list accurately reflects authorship;
all permissions necessary to use third-party material have been obtained; and
all necessary research ethics approvals, participant consents, and other authorisations have been obtained.

Submitting a manuscript creates no obligation for ICPK or a journal to publish it. Editorial assessment and acceptance or rejection remain under the authority of the relevant journal’s Editor-in-Chief and editorial board. Nothing is charged to submit. Any journal-specific requirements are stated on that journal’s own pages.

7. Accuracy, availability, and opinions

ICPK takes reasonable care in maintaining the sites and published records. However, it does not warrant that every page will always be complete, accurate, current, or free from errors, or that access will be uninterrupted, secure, or available at all times. Maintenance, technical faults, security concerns, and circumstances outside ICPK’s reasonable control may affect availability.

Views, conclusions, and opinions expressed in published articles belong to their authors. Publication does not mean that ICPK, the journal, its Editor-in-Chief, or its editorial board endorses those views.

8. External links

The sites may link to third-party websites for reference or convenience. ICPK does not control those websites and is not responsible for their availability, security, content, privacy practices, or services. A link does not by itself indicate endorsement or affiliation. Users access third-party websites subject to the third party’s own terms and policies.

9. Limitation of liability

To the extent permitted by law:

ICPK is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, or consequential loss arising from use of the sites or from a submission, including loss of profit, data, goodwill, or anticipated savings.
ICPK’s total aggregate liability arising from use of the sites or from a submission is limited to the greater of:

- the total amount the user paid ICPK during the twelve months before the claim arose; or

- USD 100.

Nothing in these terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, or liability for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

This cap is intended to apply only to the extent a court or authority with jurisdiction over a claim would recognise it as enforceable. It does not reduce any statutory right or consumer protection that a user's own local law grants them and that cannot lawfully be limited by agreement.

10. Accessibility

ICPK aims to make its sites and published material usable by a broad audience. Information about accessibility and how to report a barrier is provided in the Accessibility Statement.

11. Changes to these terms

ICPK may revise these academic publisher terms when site functions, publishing practices, or legal requirements change. The current version will be published on this page. Continued use of the sites after revised terms are posted indicates acceptance of the revised terms. Changes do not remove rights that have already accrued under applicable law.

12. Governing law and jurisdiction

These terms and any dispute or claim arising from them, the sites, or a submission are governed by the laws of Bangladesh, and the parties intend the courts of Bangladesh to have jurisdiction. Where a user's own local law gives them the right to bring a claim in their home jurisdiction and that right cannot lawfully be waived by agreement, this section does not override it. Where the courts of Bangladesh are for any reason unavailable to resolve a dispute, either party may instead propose to resolve it by binding arbitration, with the seat, rules, and language of arbitration to be agreed by the parties or, failing agreement, determined under a recognised international arbitration framework. Where journal content describes ICPK as operating from the USA and Bangladesh, that describes editorial and operational presence — including editorial board members based in the USA and registrations such as journal ISSNs issued through the USA — and does not change the governing law or jurisdiction stated in this section. ICPK's editorial and operational activities are conducted with regard to internationally recognised academic publishing standards.