Presentation and purpose

Etnolinde provides a space for academic publication and discussion on cultural diversity and contemporary social processes. Its purpose is to disseminate research that brings together empirical evidence, interpretation, and critical reflection, with particular attention to the experiences of the individuals and communities involved in the production of knowledge.

The journal recognizes ethnography as a research practice that requires presence, attentive listening, and reflexivity. It values contextualized descriptions of social life, transparency regarding methodological decisions, and critical examination of the relationships among researchers, participants, and institutions. It also welcomes review articles that contribute to understanding theoretical debates, research findings, and methodological issues within its field.

The journal is intended for researchers, faculty members, university students, and professionals interested in sociocultural anthropology and its connections with sociology, history, education, human geography, philosophy, cultural studies, and related fields. An author's disciplinary background does not replace the requirement that the manuscript align with the journal's scope and focus.

Meaning of the Name

The name Etnolinde combines the reference to peoples and cultures conveyed by “ethno” with the notion of border, boundary, and contact zone evoked by “linde.” This combination expresses the journal's interest in spaces where forms of belonging are constructed, differences are negotiated, and different forms of knowledge enter into dialogue.

The notion of the border also refers to the challenges inherent in ethnographic work: the relationship between observation and participation, the representation of other voices, and the position of the researcher. From this perspective, Etnolinde promotes a careful approach to social experience, attentive to its contexts and to the implications of making it public.

 

Focus and Scope

Etnolinde publishes research on the meanings, practices, relationships, and institutions that shape collective life. Its disciplinary core is sociocultural anthropology, and its methodological orientation gives priority to ethnographic work and qualitative research.

The journal considers studies based on participant observation, in-depth interviews, life histories, documentary analysis, digital, visual, multi-sited, or collaborative ethnographies, as well as other strategies justified by the research problem. Mixed-methods designs are appropriate when their qualitative component and sociocultural interpretation constitute a substantive part of the contribution.

Literature reviews must present a clearly defined question, explain how the body of literature was constructed and analyzed, and provide a critical synthesis. They may examine theoretical traditions, research findings, or methodological debates and are not required to include original fieldwork.

Manuscripts that fall outside the journal's thematic scope, purely descriptive texts lacking analytical development, reviews that merely enumerate publications, and manuscripts that provide insufficient information to assess the rigor of their procedures are excluded. Relevance is determined by the content and contribution of the work, without restrictions based on nationality or institutional affiliation.

 

Culture, Identity, and Otherness

Studies on belonging, symbolic boundaries, ethnicity, memory, and the production of difference. This area includes research on intercultural relations, processes of identification, and tensions between local experiences and broader social transformations.

 

Institutions, Power, and Politics

Research on the everyday exercise of power, bureaucracies, citizenship, social movements, and resistance. The journal considers ethnographies of institutions and analyses of how public policies are interpreted, implemented, or contested in specific contexts.

 

Economy, Work, and Materialities

Studies of practices of production, consumption, exchange, reciprocity, and subsistence, as well as cultures of work. This area encompasses household and informal economies, productive organizations, and the relationships among objects, technologies, values, and forms of social organization.

 

Kinship, Gender, and Sexuality

Research on family ties, kinship, care, and social reproduction. The journal welcomes analyses of the cultural construction of gender and sexuality, embodied experiences, and transformations in affective and domestic relationships.

 

Health, Illness, and the Body

Studies on experiences of illness and suffering, care practices, therapeutic knowledge, and relationships among healthcare systems. This area includes mental health, intercultural approaches to health, care trajectories, and the social dimensions of health policies.

 

Religion, Ritual, and Worldviews

Research on beliefs, spiritualities, ritual practices, and ways of understanding the world. The journal considers their relationships with identities, territories, everyday life, conflicts, and cultural transformations.

 

Globalization, Mobility, and Territories

Studies on migration, displacement, diasporas, borders, and the circulation of people, objects, and ideas. This area encompasses the reconfiguration of territories and forms of belonging, as well as the situated effects of transnational processes.

 

Method, Epistemology, and Ethnographic Writing

Contributions that examine the production of ethnographic knowledge, the position of the researcher, and the politics of representation. This area includes debates on digital, visual, collaborative, and autoethnographic research, as well as ethical dilemmas and writing decisions grounded in research experience or rigorous reviews.

 

Sections and Types of Contributions

Original Research Articles

These articles present original findings from studies with a clearly defined research problem and an explicit research procedure. They must provide sufficient evidence, contextualized interpretation, and a discussion demonstrating their contribution to the field. They are subject to evaluation by at least two independent external reviewers.

Literature Review Articles

These articles critically analyze a body of publications relevant to a question within the journal's scope. Systematic reviews, scoping reviews, and other justified approaches, including critical reviews, are accepted provided that they clearly explain how sources were selected and analyzed. They are subject to evaluation by at least two independent external reviewers.

Editorials

Editorials present the orientation of an issue or offer reflections on relevant scientific and editorial matters. They are published either by invitation or at the initiative of the editorial team and undergo editorial review. When an editor authors an editorial, another member without a conflict of interest oversees its evaluation. Editorials are clearly identified as such and are not presented as externally peer-reviewed research articles.

The journal prioritizes scientific content. As a composition target, at least 80% of the texts in each issue should consist of peer-reviewed research and review articles, while editorials may account for up to 20%. This proportion does not require the journal to publish material that fails to meet its quality standards.

Frequency and Continuous Publication

Etnolinde publishes one volume per year, organized into four quarterly issues: January–March, April–June, July–September, and October–December. Each issue remains open throughout its respective period and receives articles as they complete peer review, editing, and proof approval.

Publication of an article does not wait until the issue closes. Each article has its own webpage, effective publication date, and citation information. At the end of each quarter, the issue is closed and its table of contents is finalized.

Manuscript submissions remain open throughout the year. The submission date does not guarantee inclusion in a particular issue. Closing an issue does not alter the publication date of articles previously incorporated into it.

Editorial Process and Peer Review

Review Model

Research and review articles are evaluated through double-blind peer review. During the review process, authors do not know the identities of the reviewers, and reviewers do not know the identities of the authors.

The journal takes reasonable measures to preserve anonymity throughout the peer-review process. Manuscripts sent for review are prepared without information that could directly identify their authors, and communications between authors and reviewers are conducted through OJS under the coordination of the editor.

The confidentiality of the process does not authorize the disclosure of unpublished manuscripts, sensitive data, review reports, or internal communications. Reviewers’ identities remain confidential, except where disclosure is required by law or expressly authorized under exceptional and duly justified circumstances.

 

Submission and Initial Evaluation

The corresponding author submits the manuscript through OJS and provides the manuscript file, metadata, and required declarations. The editor verifies alignment with the journal's scope, manuscript structure, ethical requirements, authorship documentation, and integrity of the submitted material. The editor also reviews possible indications of text overlap and redundant publication.

The initial evaluation may result in the manuscript proceeding to peer review, a request for revisions, or a reasoned rejection. Passing this stage does not constitute acceptance. The indicative timeframe is up to 30 calendar days from receipt of a complete submission.

 

Selection and Work of Reviewers

The editor requests at least two evaluations from specialists who are external to the publishing institution and editorial team, independent of the authors, and free from conflicts that could compromise their impartiality. Before confirming an assignment, the editor considers the reviewer's subject-matter and methodological expertise, academic track record, and availability.

Reviewers assess originality, relevance of the research problem, methodological coherence, the relationship between evidence and interpretation, ethical considerations, and the contribution of the discussion. In ethnographic studies, they also consider the contextualization of fieldwork, reflexivity, and representation of participants. In review articles, they examine the delimitation, selection, and analysis of sources.

Each report must justify its observations and distinguish essential revisions from suggestions. Possible recommendations are acceptance, minor revisions, major revisions, or rejection. The target timeframe for the peer-review stage is up to 90 calendar days, subject to reviewer availability and the number of rounds required.

 

Editorial Decision and Revised Versions

The handling editor makes the decision on the basis of the review reports and their own assessment of the manuscript. When substantial discrepancies exist, a third review may be requested. Decisions are not made through automatic voting, nor is a report disregarded solely because it is unfavorable.

Authors receive a reasoned decision and submit a revised version together with a point-by-point response. As a general guideline, they are given 15 calendar days for minor revisions and 30 calendar days for major revisions. Authors may request a justified extension before the deadline. If no response is received, the editor sends a reminder and communicates the possible closure of the submission file.

Major revisions may be returned to the original reviewers. The editor verifies whether the authors' responses are satisfactory and may request additional changes. A request for revision does not constitute a promise of acceptance.

 

Editing and Publication

Following acceptance, the manuscript undergoes copyediting, verification of references and metadata, and preparation of publication files. Authors receive proofs to identify errors and confirm the final version. The target response time is 72 hours; extensions must be agreed upon with the editor, and failure to respond may delay publication.

No substantive changes are made to results or conclusions without the involvement of the authors and, where appropriate, further editorial assessment. The article is incorporated into the open issue once technical preparation has been completed. The target timeframe for this stage is up to two months.

The overall indicative timeframe from submission to publication is six to nine months. Authors are informed when significant delays occur. These timeframes are management targets and do not constitute a guarantee of acceptance or of a specific publication date.

 

Editorial Independence and Certificates

Manuscripts authored by directors, editors, members of the editorial or scientific boards, or reviewers are subject to the same requirements as all other submissions. Their handling is assigned to an individual with no conflict of interest, and the authors do not participate in decisions concerning their own work.

Upon request, the journal issues an acceptance letter after a final acceptance decision and a publication certificate once the article is available on the journal's website. Certificates include only verifiable information and statuses.

Reviewers may request certification of peer reviews they have completed. Such certificates acknowledge the review activity performed without identifying the manuscript, its authors, or the editorial decision reached. Their issuance is independent of whether the reviewed manuscript is subsequently accepted, rejected, withdrawn, or published.

 

Preservation

Etnolinde uses the PKP Private LOCKSS Network (PKP PN) as its long-term digital preservation system, helping ensure permanent access to published content even in the event of disruptions affecting the journal's availability.