Writing about and opening up methodological choices can be challenging in empirical research. Ethnologists who study the everyday life may turn to other disciplines to find concepts and methodological tools to grasp the issues that are difficult to see, perceive and verbalize. On the other hand, ethnologists have the capability to utilize and develop creative methodological tools.
This issue of Ethnologia Fennica focuses on tools and methods in ethnology and related disciplines. What constitutes ethnological research in the 2020s and which methods have been applied to create ethnological knowledge? Which methods are useful, how are they applied, and what kinds of new perspectives do they bring to contemporary discussions on research practices?
We call for research and review articles which address methodological choices and practices as well as connections between methods, concepts, and theoretical thinking. We are interested, for example, in how and why researchers apply close or distant reading, different ethnographical variations such as creative and participatory approaches, or digital tools and AI. We encourage discussions on reasons behind methodological and practical choices as well as case studies which have been challenging or rewarding from the perspective of methodology. We also welcome texts about applications of new digital possibilities in ethnological and ethnographic research.
Please submit your abstracts by 31 May 2024, and the article manuscript by 31 of October 2024. The deadline for reviews, reports, and commentary texts is 28 February 2025. The issue will be published in June 2025.