1. Purpose and core principles

Criminological Activity requires research using special materials, restricted data, digital evidence, advanced technologies and higher-risk methods to be conducted lawfully, ethically and responsibly. Priorities include scientific rigour, human rights, the safety of participants and researchers, confidentiality and independent scholarly assessment.

Authors are responsible for meeting applicable requirements throughout the acquisition, storage, analysis, transfer and publication of materials. A research purpose does not itself authorise access to restricted information, intervention in systems or the use of controlled items.

Manuscript assessment and publication do not replace necessary permissions, ethics review or institutional risk assessment. This policy applies within the journal’s scientific scope and does not automatically extend that scope to all technical or laboratory research.

2. Scope of the policy

The policy applies, in particular, to the following materials and technologies used in criminological research:

• restricted criminal case files and judicial, investigative, operational and expert documents;
• institutional databases on crime, offences, sentencing, probation and the execution of sentences;
• data concerning victims, witnesses, suspects, defendants, convicted persons and other research participants;
• digital evidence, event logs, correspondence, audio and video recordings, social media and online community material;
• biometric, genetic and geolocation data and the results of linking different databases;
• surveillance, recognition, electronic monitoring, prediction and risk assessment systems;
• artificial intelligence, machine learning, social network analysis and automated processing of legal texts;
• information about vulnerabilities in information systems, protective measures and law enforcement or correctional infrastructure;
• physical evidence, biological samples, hazardous substances and other controlled items where their study directly relates to the journal’s scope.

This list is not exhaustive. The policy may cover other cases involving significant risks to people, data, security or third-party rights; its application depends on the nature of the research.

3. Permissions and approvals

Before accessing materials or commencing the relevant procedures, authors obtain the permissions, licences and approvals required by applicable rules. These may concern:

• access to restricted case files, institutional registers, archives and information systems;
• entry to institutions and the conduct of observation, interviews, experiments or testing;
• acquisition, transfer and secondary use of samples, evidence and personal data;
• use of software, models, images and other material subject to third-party rights;
• handling of state, official, professional, commercial or other protected secrets;
• cross-border transfers of data or technologies where special restrictions apply.

Permission from a data custodian or institutional administration does not replace required ethics approval, participant consent or a separate lawful basis for processing data. An employee’s access to information for official duties also does not imply permission to use it for research or publication.

The manuscript identifies the authorising body, date and reference number where available and permissible to disclose. If no separate permission was required, authors explain the basis; the policy does not impose approval by the institution being studied for every research project. The right to study material and the right to publish it are assessed separately.

4. Research requiring ethical oversight

Authors arrange prospective ethics assessment and obtain approval from a competent body where required by the research, institutional rules or applicable provisions. Particular attention is required for:

• research involving people and identifiable personal data;
• work with minors, victims of violence, prisoners and people in dependent relationships;
• covert observation, deception and interventions affecting participants’ behaviour;
• biometric identification, database linkage and automated assessments that may affect people’s rights;
• use of biological samples and other procedures subject to specific ethical oversight.

Covert methods and departures from ordinary consent procedures require specific justification, compliance with applicable requirements and prospective competent ethics assessment. Researcher convenience alone does not justify them. Retrospective approval does not normally replace prior authorisation.

The manuscript includes a statement of ethics approval or a justified exemption. “Not applicable” must not replace assessment of actual risks. The journal’s Research Ethics Policy, Ethical Requirements for Research Involving Human Participants and Informed Consent Policy apply.

5. Data provenance, lawful use and confidentiality

Authors describe the provenance of materials, collection method and period, selection criteria, transformations and grounds for use. For evidentiary material, where applicable, records of provenance, transfer and integrity are retained; research must not compromise its preservation or prescribed handling procedures.

Protection of restricted and sensitive data requires authors to:

• collect and use only information necessary for the scientific question;
• remove unnecessary identifiers from publications and use anonymisation or pseudonymisation with an understanding of their differences;
• store re-identification keys separately and restrict access to authorised persons;
• assess re-identification through combinations of dates, places, quotations, rare characteristics and linked sources;
• generalise precise coordinates, information about protected persons and security characteristics of facilities;
• use secure storage and transfer and determine retention periods and deletion procedures under applicable requirements.

Public availability of a court decision, social media post or other information does not imply an unrestricted right to reuse it. Pseudonymised data may remain personal data. Material of uncertain provenance requires specific legal and ethical assessment; a data leak does not automatically authorise its use.

Confidential documents and data must not be transferred to external services, including AI tools, without an appropriate basis and a protection assessment. Funding or contractual terms must not be used to conceal methodological deficiencies or unjustifiably suppress findings.

6. Controlled materials and laboratory research safety

Where research within the journal’s scope involves physical evidence, biological samples, weapons, controlled substances or other hazardous items, it must take place only under appropriate conditions and be conducted by authorised persons. Relevant permissions, personnel training and risk assessment are required.

Authors must:

• follow approved procedures for handling, storing, transferring and recording materials;
• protect personnel and prevent contamination, loss or substitution of samples;
• apply necessary engineering safeguards and safe working procedures;
• comply with waste handling and incident response requirements;
• state significant safety limitations necessary to understand and assess the research.

Safer substitutes and simulation are preferred where they can reliably address the scientific question. Publication does not certify the safety of a particular method or authorise readers to work with controlled materials without the required training and authority.

7. Field research, institutions and digital infrastructure

Research in courts, law enforcement agencies, correctional institutions, probation services, local communities and digital environments requires assessment of access, participant dependency and the possible consequences of intervention. Necessary permissions depend on the actual setting, method and object of research.

Authors must:

• protect participants, researchers, staff and third parties;
• avoid unjustified interference with investigations, proceedings, institutional operations or assistance;
• explain that participation does not promise sentence reduction, procedural advantages or a favourable employment assessment;
• protect freedom to decline and, where possible, separate recruitment from decisions by participants’ supervisors or institutional administration;
• plan support for psychological distress and procedures for responding to incidents;
• conduct technical testing only within authorised access and the agreed scope of work.

For cyber research, isolated test environments and anonymised or synthetic data are preferred where suitable for the scientific question. Testing live systems must not result in unauthorised access, disruption or disclosure of other people’s data.

When engaging participants, researchers explain in advance the actual limits of confidentiality and the planned response to a threat of serious harm. Researchers do not promise absolute confidentiality where they cannot provide it.

8. Social and environmental responsibility

Research and its presentation must address risks of stigmatisation, discrimination, retraumatisation and unjustified restrictions on rights. Membership of a social group or residence in a particular area must not be presented as evidence of an individual’s criminal behaviour.

When analysing data and evaluating technologies, authors must:

• distinguish recorded offences from the underlying prevalence of crime;
• consider under-recording and the effects of detection, selection and data labelling;
• assess errors and unequal consequences for different groups where material to the research;
• describe limitations on transferring a model to another location, period or population;
• distinguish a research prototype from a system validated for practical use;
• consider resource consumption, waste and other environmental effects where significant for the technologies used.

High average algorithmic accuracy does not itself establish fairness, causal validity or the acceptability of practical deployment. Claims about safety, effectiveness and public benefit must rest on verifiable data, clear criteria and stated uncertainty.

9. Dual use and risk of harm

Scientific methods and technologies may have both beneficial and harmful applications. Authors assess whether the information to be published could substantially facilitate:

• unlawful surveillance, harassment or disclosure of the identity or location of protected persons;
• exploitation of information system vulnerabilities and unauthorised access;
• evasion of safeguards, concealment of crime or interference with evidence;
• dangerous use of controlled items or physical, psychological or financial harm.

Where a specific and significant risk exists, the editors may commission independent assessment, propose a safer presentation, restrict particular details, arrange controlled access or reject the manuscript if acceptable risk reduction is impossible. Where applicable, identified technical vulnerabilities are addressed through coordinated responsible notification of an authorised party.

Restrictions must be proportionate and explained in the article without disclosing dangerous details. General references to security, reputational risk or the interests of the institution being studied are insufficient grounds for suppressing good-faith criticism and scientifically substantiated negative findings.

10. Transparency, methodological accuracy and reproducibility

Materials, samples, equipment, software versions, models, parameters, assumptions and analytical procedures are described sufficiently for scholarly assessment. For automated methods, authors disclose data provenance, model training and validation, prevention of data leakage between datasets, error measures and application limitations where relevant to the research.

Where some material cannot be made public, authors state:

• the type of restricted material;
• the general legal, ethical or other justified reason for the restriction;
• alternative information provided to assess methods and results;
• the availability and conditions of controlled access, where permissible;
• the effect of restrictions on independent verification and reproducibility.

Alternatives may include aggregated results, variable descriptions, analytical code without secret parameters, safe test examples or independent verification in a secure environment. Synthetic and demonstration data are clearly labelled and are not presented as actual observations; their limitations are explained when used.

The journal does not require restricted case files or identifiable information to be publicly shared for reproducibility. However, an unjustified confidentiality claim must not prevent substantive assessment. A manuscript may be rejected if adequate verification is impossible. The journal’s Data and Reproducibility Policy and Policy on the Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools apply.

11. Editorial assessment and document verification

Where significant risks arise, the editorial office may request:

• confirmation of necessary permissions, licences or ethics approval;
• information establishing lawful provenance and permitted use of materials;
• relevant parts of the risk assessment and data protection plan;
• explanations from authors or the responsible institutional unit;
• independent technical, legal or ethical advice.

Verification uses the minimum necessary information. Classified material, non-anonymised case files, access credentials and full participant identifiers must not be sent through ordinary email or public submission-system fields. The editorial office agrees a permissible secure verification method or confirmation through an authorised institution.

Information unnecessary for verification may be redacted if what remains establishes the document’s authenticity and relevance. Editors, reviewers and experts use received material only for authorised assessment, maintain confidentiality and declare conflicts of interest. Scientific decisions are made independently of technical providers, data custodians and funding bodies.

12. Non-compliance

Where there are indications of missing required permission, concealed significant risk, improper use of materials or inaccurate declarations, the journal may:

• request explanations, documents or corrections;
• suspend assessment or preparation for publication;
• reject the manuscript or rescind acceptance;
• contact the author’s institution or a competent authority where there is a justified need;
• publish a correction, expression of concern or retraction notice after publication;
• exceptionally restrict access to dangerous or improperly disclosed information on justified grounds, while retaining a necessary public record of the action.

Each case is assessed on the evidence, the nature of the breach and potential harm. Authors are normally given a reasonable opportunity to respond; urgent protective action may precede completion of the assessment. Disclosure to other parties is limited to what is necessary and takes account of risks to participants and those reporting concerns.

The journal’s Policy on Handling Allegations of Misconduct, Complaints and Appeals Policy and relevant post-publication procedures apply. Content removal is not used to conceal changes to the scholarly record.

13. Policy administration

Following approval, this policy takes effect on the date of its publication on the official Criminological Activity website. The editorial office records the actual effective date and subsequent revisions and updates the text as research, legal and technological practice develops.

The Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board are responsible for applying editorial requirements. As publisher, the Research Institute of Criminology of the Republic of Uzbekistan provides the necessary organisational and technical support while respecting editorial independence. Authors’ permissions and protective measures must remain applicable independently of the journal’s publication decision.

Questions concerning special research materials and technologies should be sent to the editorial office at info@uzkti.uz. The initial enquiry should identify the manuscript or publication and describe the issue generally, without restricted material or personal identifiers; the method for transmitting supporting documents is agreed separately.