A commentary is

• a reaction to an article published previously in Ethnologia Fennica or
• a reaction to a topical issue in the field of ethnology, heritage or other relevant area with a clear connection to ethnology

The purpose of a commentary is to push forward a discussion by providing a new and a different perspective. The goal is to advance ethnological research or discussions related to ethnological research. A commentary should be critical of the discussions it reacts to, but the author must present his or her critique in a fair, respectful, and constructive manner justifying and contextualizing the argument it makes. However, a commentary can also offer an extension of a point made in a previous article or previous discussions and develop an argument further.

A commentary should focus only on one issue, and it must present this point in a clear and accessible manner, without too much jargon. The author must ensure that the key message is easily understandable to the reader. It is advisable to go directly to the text’s key point. Commentaries can include literature references, but the author should only use essential citations that are necessary for building the text’s argument.

Commentaries should have a length of 2000 to 4000 words, including literature references. The title of the commentary must be short and to-the-point, making a clear reference to the key message. Commentaries are not peer-reviewed, and the authors do not have to include an abstract.