SEMI-STRUCTURED
The Open-Access Journal for Public Ethnography
Published by the Public Ethnography Lab at American University
About Semi-Structured
Semi-Structured, the new digital, open-access journal from the Public Ethnography Lab, was created to address a gap within by existing publication venues for applied, public, and engaged ethnographic practitioners. While journals rooted in peer-reviewed, long-form articles are critical for our discipline, this work would benefit from complementary outlets which offer:
Shorter form pieces which feature compelling storytelling with analytical depth that opts out of jargon
Faster publication cycles to better accommodate writers outside of the academy
More publishing opportunity for scholars outside of the Global North, students, early career scholars, and applied practitioners
Semi-Structured seeks to address these goals. The journal releases 2-4 issues per year, with each issue highlighting 5-6 pieces across a range of formats.
We invite pitches from:
Researchers conducting applied or collaborative ethnography
Practitioners using ethnographic methods in non-academic settings
Community members engaged in documentation and storytelling
Students translating fieldwork into action
Anyone exploring when ethnographic knowledge meets real-world problems
Possible formats:
Short-form essays (1,500-2,000 words) that bring fieldwork to life
Photo essays (6-8 high-resolution images + 750 word narrative)
Multimedia pieces (developed in consultation with our editorial team)
Methodological reflections that illuminate ethnographic practice in applied contexts
