1. Originality and exclusive submission

The manuscript is original, has not previously been published in an identical or substantially similar form, and is not currently under consideration by another journal. Related publications, theses, reports, conference materials and previous versions have been disclosed to the editors, with an explanation of any overlap.

If a public preprint exists, its link or persistent identifier and its status as a version that has not been peer reviewed are provided. Posting a preprint does not in itself prevent consideration of the manuscript.

2. Journal scope and manuscript type

The manuscript fits the journal’s aims and scope: the study of crime, its causes and consequences, crime prevention, victimology, criminal policy and criminal justice. Its scholarly contribution and significance for a wider audience are clearly explained.

The appropriate manuscript type has been selected: research article, review article, short communication, methodological or technical note, case study, perspective, editorial or letter to the editor. Its structure follows the selected type and the Instructions for Authors.

3. Template and file package

The main text is supplied as one editable .docx file, with a separate title page. The current official template has been used if it is available on the website. Until it is available, a single-column manuscript following the Instructions for Authors is acceptable, using a readable Times New Roman font, consistent headings and page numbers.

LaTeX/Overleaf is used only when an official journal package is available or the editors have agreed in advance. In that case, the source files, bibliography, figures, required classes and styles, and compiled PDF are supplied in one ZIP archive. The package permits recompilation without dependencies unavailable to the editors.

Required supplementary materials are included and clearly labelled. Restricted documents, participants’ personal data and signed consent forms have not been uploaded as public supplements; if requested by the editors, a secure transfer method has been agreed for these materials.

4. Title page and anonymised manuscript

The separate title page contains:

• the manuscript type and full title;
• the full names of all authors in the agreed order;
• department and institution names;
• the city, postal code where available, and country of each institution;
• authors’ email addresses;
• authors’ own valid ORCID identifiers, where available;
• the corresponding author’s name and contact details;
• acknowledgements and other information that may reveal authorship.

The text for double-anonymous peer review, filename, document properties, comments and tracked changes contain no identifying information. References to the authors’ own work use neutral wording; necessary sources have not been removed.

Complete declarations are available to the editors. Identifying details in the anonymised version have been replaced with neutral descriptions where necessary, retaining essential methodological and ethical information. Authors recognise that a public preprint may allow their identity to be inferred.

5. Language, title, abstract and keywords

The manuscript is written in Uzbek, Russian or English. Uzbek- and Russian-language manuscripts also include an English title, abstract and keywords. English-language articles include additional Russian or Uzbek metadata if required by the published template or requested by the editors. Translations are consistent with the main text.

The title is concise, informative and specific, without unnecessary abbreviations.

The abstract, where required for the manuscript type:

• is a single paragraph of no more than 200 words in each required language;
• covers the problem and objective, design and methods, principal results and conclusion;
• includes quantitative results where appropriate to the design; for qualitative and theoretical work, it presents the main themes, arguments or conceptual contribution;
• contains no unexplained abbreviations, unnecessary references or information absent from the main text.

Three to ten relevant keywords are provided.

6. Manuscript structure

A research article normally includes:

• Introduction;
• Methods;
• Results;
• Discussion;
• Conclusions.

A research article includes a separate Conclusions section. The structure of theoretical, qualitative and comparative legal studies is adapted while retaining a clear research question, method, evidential basis and conclusions. Reviews, editorials, perspectives, letters and other materials use a structure appropriate to their purpose.

The package includes the required declarations, references and all cited supplementary materials.

7. Methods and verifiability

Theoretical, quantitative, qualitative, mixed, comparative legal, experimental or computational methods are described in sufficient detail for scholarly assessment, verification and, where possible, reproduction of the work.

Depending on the design, the manuscript specifies:

• the research question, theoretical framework, setting and study period;
• data provenance, units of analysis, selection criteria, sample size and its justification;
• definitions of crime, recidivism, victimisation and other measures, including distinctions between recorded and unrecorded crime;
• data collection procedures, questionnaires, interview guides, coding rules or procedures for selecting legal sources;
• analytical methods, treatment of missing data, assessment of uncertainty and limitations;
• for quantitative studies, appropriate statistical methods, effect sizes and interval estimates where applicable;
• for qualitative studies, principles of interpretation, researcher reflexivity and measures supporting the credibility of the analysis;
• for comparative legal studies, selection of jurisdictions, comparison criteria, sources and versions of legislation;
• for computational and AI models, software, versions, parameters, validation, prevention of data leakage and assessment of systematic bias;
• applicable protocols or reporting guidelines and permissible verification methods where access to data is restricted.

Causal claims are not made without an appropriate design and supporting evidence. Exact addresses, geolocation, case records and other details do not identify protected persons or create unjustified risks.

8. Figures, tables and equations

All included figures, tables and equations:

• are numbered consecutively and cited in the text in numerical order;
• are placed near their first mention, as the format permits;
• are legible and suitable for publication;
• include the necessary definitions of symbols, units and abbreviations.

Figure captions appear below figures and table titles above tables. Tables and equations are editable; equations are numbered with Arabic numerals in parentheses. Required original graphics files are included.

Maps, network diagrams, document images and quotations from case records have been checked for re-identification risks. Anonymisation does not distort the scientific content.

9. Terms, abbreviations and units

Symbols, parameters, indices and abbreviations are defined at first use, with a separate list where needed. Legal concepts are explained in their jurisdictional context.

SI units are used for physical quantities. Crime measures specify the unit of observation, denominator, territory and period; persons, events, cases and convictions are not conflated. Monetary measures identify the currency and price year. A decimal point is used in numerical tables and equations.

10. Data Availability Statement

Every manuscript includes a Data Availability Statement covering newly generated and reused data and other resources supporting its conclusions.

The statement specifies the applicable circumstances:

• for open resources, the repository, version, persistent identifier and conditions of use;
• for controlled access, the data custodian, request channel, access criteria and authority to permit sharing;
• for restricted resources, the specific legal, ethical, contractual, confidentiality or security restrictions and permissible alternative verification methods;
• if no new datasets were generated, the nature of the work and the published sources or analytical materials used.

The phrase “on reasonable request” is used only where an operational access mechanism exists. Reanalysis of existing data is not described as work involving no data. Open access to an article does not require publication of personal data or restricted materials.

11. Ethical approval and informed consent

Where required, the necessary ethical approval was obtained before the relevant work began. The manuscript identifies the approving body, approval number and date where available, the process for voluntary informed consent, and separate consent to publish identifiable materials where required.

Exemption from approval or waiver of consent is explained with reference to the competent authority and applicable basis. A “Not applicable” statement is justified by the nature of the work; public availability of data or absence of direct contact with people is not, by itself, treated as an exemption.

Additional safeguards address minors, victims, witnesses, people in custody, prisoners and participants in dependent relationships. Administrative permission does not replace required ethical approval or participant consent. Risks of coercion and re-identification have been assessed.

12. Required declarations

The manuscript package contains all applicable statements on:

• author contributions using applicable CRediT roles, including for single-author work;
• funding and the role of funders;
• ethical approval;
• consent to participate and consent for publication;
• data availability;
• acknowledgements;
• conflicts of interest;
• use of artificial intelligence tools requiring disclosure under journal policy.

Statements reflect the actual circumstances. Absence of funding or conflicts of interest is stated explicitly; “Not applicable” is used only where justified.

Generative translation and other AI use requiring disclosure are described, identifying the tool, version or date of use, task, affected parts and human verification. Research use is also reported in the Methods. Routine spelling and formatting checks that do not generate or substantially alter content do not require separate disclosure.

13. Authorship

All listed authors meet the journal’s authorship criteria, have made a substantial contribution, have approved the manuscript and have accepted the responsibilities specified by those criteria. All co-authors have agreed on the author order.

CRediT describes actual contributions and does not replace authorship criteria. Position, funding or provision of access alone does not confer authorship. Contributors who do not meet authorship criteria are acknowledged with their consent. AI tools are not listed as authors.

14. References

The journal’s numerical citation style is used. Sources:

• are numbered in order of first mention;
• are cited in square brackets: [1], [2,3] or [4–6];
• include verified working DOI links where DOIs exist;
• use verified standard journal title abbreviations or, where unavailable, full titles;
• appear in the reference list only if cited in the manuscript;
• have been checked for accuracy, completeness and publication status.

Direct quotations include an appropriate locator, such as a page, paragraph or other identifier. Legislation and court decisions identify the jurisdiction, date, identifying details, applicable version and official source, within the permitted limits of disclosure.

Cyrillic records are consistently rendered in Latin script; transliterated titles are followed by an English translation in square brackets and an indication of the original language. Originally Latin-script Uzbek sources retain their original spelling. DOIs and bibliographic details are not fabricated.

15. Research integrity and third-party materials

The manuscript contains no plagiarism, data fabrication or falsification, duplicate publication, unacceptable manipulation of data or images, citation manipulation, fabricated sources or other breaches of research ethics.

Necessary permissions have been obtained, or applicable licences or permitted grounds for using third-party figures, tables, photographs, questionnaires, software, datasets and other materials have been checked and complied with. Sources and separate conditions of use are identified. Restricted materials have not been used or shared without appropriate authority.

16. Copyright and licence

Authors understand that they retain copyright and grant the journal and the institute as publisher non-exclusive rights of first publication and the rights necessary to disseminate and preserve the article.

Articles published under the current Open Access Policy are distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International — CC BY 4.0. Authors have read the terms of this licence and the journal’s Copyright and Licensing Policy.

The licence does not automatically apply to earlier publications, all associated data or third-party materials subject to separate conditions. Confidentiality and personal data protection requirements remain relevant.

17. Publication charges

Authors have read the current Article Processing Charges (APC) Policy. There is no manuscript submission fee. The standard APC is USD 100 per article and, where applicable, is requested only after formal acceptance for publication.

Through 31 December 2026 inclusive, all publication costs are covered by the budget of the Research Institute of Criminology of the Republic of Uzbekistan; authors are not charged an APC. Transition arrangements after this period are governed by the published charges policy.

The APC is not a fee for acceptance. Payment, discounts, waivers or institutional support do not influence peer review or editorial decisions.

18. Final confirmation

All authors have reviewed and approved the final version being submitted, the author order and the declarations. The corresponding author confirms the accuracy, completeness and consistency of the manuscript files and submission metadata.

All required fields and confirmations in the official submission system have been completed. Unless the editors have agreed otherwise, the manuscript is submitted through that system. Using this checklist does not replace completion of the official submission or guarantee acceptance.

Incomplete submissions and contact details

A manuscript with an incomplete package or technical deficiencies may be returned to the corresponding author for correction before further editorial assessment or peer review. Suspected ethical breaches are handled under the journal’s relevant policies.

Editorial Office of Criminological Activity

Email: info@uzkti.uz. Include the manuscript title or number and the nature of your enquiry. Sensitive documents are transferred only by an agreed secure method.