The best way to smooth anthropologists’ progress through human ethics review
is to participate in it. If the committee is knowledgeable and helpful, then an accusation of ignorance of anthropological methods is hard to sustain. This reflects my general academic philosophy; collegial service accompanies writing articles, getting grants and seeking promotion. HREC committee work is thankless, without personal kudos, and is largely unrecognised. It is more radical to deploy citizen power, than to complain about its absence in the ethics review process.