Aims and Scope

The aim of Criminological Activity is to advance evidence-based criminological practice by disseminating original findings from applied research, theoretical approaches and methodological developments that contribute to improving prevention and law enforcement activities, preventing crime and repeat victimisation, ensuring public safety and protecting human rights.

The journal provides an academic platform for researchers, university lecturers, master’s and doctoral students, and professionals working in applied criminology, the prevention of offences, law enforcement, probation, social reintegration, national and local government, and related social and legal sciences.

The journal accepts original research articles, review articles, theoretical and methodological papers, and short scientific communications. Quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, comparative legal, experimental and quasi-experimental research, as well as systematic reviews and meta-analyses, are welcome.

Research Areas

  • The scientific basis of criminological practice, applied research methods and the evaluation of preventive measures.

  • Criminological monitoring and forecasting, spatial and temporal crime analysis, and crime risk assessment.

  • Social, community-based, situational and individual prevention of offences.

  • The work of mahallas, local community participation and interagency cooperation in crime prevention.

  • The organisation and evaluation of the work of internal affairs bodies, prevention services and other actors involved in the prevention of offences.

  • The development, implementation, evaluation of effectiveness and adaptation of prevention programmes.

  • The prevention of juvenile delinquency, child protection and early preventive support.

  • The prevention of domestic and gender-based violence, victim support and the prevention of repeat victimisation.

  • Probation, the prevention of reoffending, rehabilitation and the social reintegration of people who have committed offences.

  • Public safety, police–community relations, procedural justice, accountability and public trust.

  • The prevention of corruption, economic and financial crime, and fraud.

  • Combating organised and transnational crime, human trafficking, and the illicit trafficking of drugs and weapons.

  • The prevention of cybercrime, digital victimisation and online fraud.

  • Digital technologies and artificial intelligence in prevention and law enforcement, the validation of analytical models, algorithmic fairness and the impact on human rights.

Research in law, criminalistics, psychology, sociology, public administration and technology falls within the journal’s scope if it makes a specific contribution to the scientific basis of preventive activities, the prevention of victimisation, the improvement of law enforcement practice or public safety.

Distinctive Research Focus

The journal’s distinctive research focus is the study of the development, implementation and effectiveness of practical crime prevention measures, taking into account the conditions in which they are applied, organisational mechanisms and their consequences for the population.

Particular attention is given to criminological practice in the social, legal and institutional settings of Uzbekistan and Central Asia: the work of mahallas and prevention services, cooperation between law enforcement agencies and local communities, interagency collaboration, probation, victim protection and the use of digital tools.

The journal supports research into which preventive approaches produce results, for which population groups and under what conditions, what obstacles arise during implementation and what changes are needed when transferring practices to a different setting. Studies of positive outcomes, the absence of an expected effect and unintended consequences are all of interest.

Regional studies should explain the significance of their findings for international scholarship and practice, the conditions under which their conclusions apply, and the limitations of transferring preventive interventions to other countries and regions.

The journal welcomes research from all countries, including studies concerning other regions, international cooperation and comparative evaluations of prevention and law enforcement practices.

Journal Objectives

The journal seeks to:

  • support the development of applied empirical, theoretical and methodological research that provides a scientific basis for criminological practice;

  • facilitate the exchange of research knowledge and practical experience among researchers, law enforcement professionals and other actors involved in crime prevention;

  • develop the scientific basis for designing and implementing preventive measures, protecting victims and making decisions concerning public safety;

  • promote objective evaluations of the effectiveness of prevention programmes, law enforcement practices, probation and social reintegration measures, including the conditions in which they are applied and their potential adverse consequences;

  • strengthen cooperation among universities, research institutions, law enforcement agencies, probation services, mahalla institutions and civil society organisations;

  • enhance the international visibility and scholarly significance of applied criminological research from Uzbekistan and Central Asia;

  • provide early-career researchers and doctoral students with opportunities to present scholarly findings that meet consistent standards of research quality.

Requirements for Scholarly Contribution

The journal publishes work demonstrating originality, methodological rigour and reliable findings, with a specific theoretical, empirical or methodological contribution to the scientific basis of criminological practice.

Manuscripts should contain a clear research question or objective, a rationale for the chosen approach, a description of methods and sources, an analysis of the results and a discussion of limitations. Conclusions and practical recommendations must be supported by the evidence presented.

Studies of prevention programmes and law enforcement practices should describe the measures being evaluated, the conditions of their implementation and the criteria used to assess outcomes. Conclusions about effectiveness must account for the limitations of the research design and the potential influence of other factors. The number of activities conducted does not in itself demonstrate a reduction in crime or an improvement in public safety.

Analyses of legislation, judicial practice and law enforcement practice should provide independent scholarly reasoning and explain the significance of their conclusions for the organisation, implementation or evaluation of criminological activities.

Research involving human participants and the use of personal or confidential data must comply with the journal’s ethical requirements, including the protection of rights, voluntary participation and confidentiality, with particular attention to children, victims, people whose liberty is restricted and participants in relationships of employment-related dependence.


ISSN 3060-5024 (Online)