diff --git a/src/Ideal.jl b/src/Ideal.jl
index e2f7f60a97..74bf1e68a5 100644
--- a/src/Ideal.jl
+++ b/src/Ideal.jl
@@ -1,9 +1,25 @@
 ###############################################################################
 #
-#   Ideal constructor
+#   Generic functionality for ideals
 #
 ###############################################################################
 
+###############################################################################
+#
+#   Type and parent functions
+#
+###############################################################################
+
+# fundamental interface
+@doc raw"""
+    ideal_type(R)
+    ideal_type(::Type{T}) where T
+
+Return the type of ideals over the given ring `R`, respectively over rings of type `T`.
+"""
+ideal_type(x) = ideal_type(typeof(x))
+ideal_type(T::DataType) = throw(MethodError(ideal_type, (T,)))
+
 # We assume that the function
 #   ideal(R::T, xs::Vector{U})
 # with U === elem_type(T) is implemented by anyone implementing ideals
@@ -41,7 +57,3 @@ end
 iszero(I::Ideal) = all(iszero, gens(I))
 
 base_ring_type(::Type{<:IdealSet{T}}) where T <: RingElement = parent_type(T)
-
-# fundamental interface, to be documented
-ideal_type(x) = ideal_type(typeof(x))
-ideal_type(T::DataType) = throw(MethodError(ideal_type, (T,)))
diff --git a/src/generic/imports.jl b/src/generic/imports.jl
index 93f4bd09ee..f4a31d801e 100644
--- a/src/generic/imports.jl
+++ b/src/generic/imports.jl
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ import ..AbstractAlgebra: gen
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: gens
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: get_cached!
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: hom
+import ..AbstractAlgebra: ideal_type
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: identity_matrix
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: image
 import ..AbstractAlgebra: image_fn