The purpose of Senri Ethnological Reports is to publicize as quickly as possible the results of research conducted by the Museum’s faculty, cooperating faculty, and research fellows. SER publishes the results of field investigations regarding specific peoples, regions, or themes that require preliminary reports, as well as items of a source material nature such as bibliographies and data collections. Published in Japanese and other languages. Occasional publication.

The purpose of Senri Ethnological Reports is to support rapid reporting of individual, inter-university, and core research projects. The journal includes multiple- and single-author reports on specific ethnic groups, regions and themes, collection records, and raw field data. Any language can be used, and the series is irregular (usually about six issues per year). All contributions are reviewed by a museum editorial committee.