The author offers several reactions & recommendations in response to the findings of J Westefeld et al (2000), & of J Werth & D Holdwick (2000) regarding the field of suicidology & hastened death. The trends found by these authors are discussed, & the current author highlights what conclusions can & cannot be made based on the literature at hand. Methodological limitations of current research on suicide are examined & implications for the future are discussed. (24 refs)