Alexander V. Tkachev

The article analyzes the contribution of scientists from the Department of Criminalistics of the Faculty of Law of Lomonosov Moscow State University to the creation and development of the information and cognitive concept of criminology. The emergence of this concept was due to both the need for criminology to create common theoretical and methodological provisions that would allow them to be used to analyses the available empirical material, and the need to distinguish the fields of research between criminology and criminal procedure. At the same time, the use of an information-cognitive approach to the analysis of the subject and object of criminology would be impossible without the creative use of methods and tools of computer science and cybernetics by scientists of the department. The author examines the evolution of the views of the authors of this concept, analyzes its conceptual framework. There are positive aspects of this concept as identification of common patterns in various types of forensic activities based on the analysis of information processes taking place in them; understanding of criminal and criminalistics activities as complex information systems; creation of unified theoretical and methodological foundations for the study of criminalistically significant information about criminal activities; development of information proving technologies. The conclusion of the article is the possibility of using a number of ideas of the information and cognitive concept of criminology in modern conditions.