David W Lawson

Efforts to decolonize anthropology and promote equitable collaboration between visiting anthropologists and researchers in the global south have recently gained traction. Progress, however, is stifled by a tendency to focus debate on community engagement and recommendations for external agencies like funding bodies and publishers based in the global north. This has left a blind spot with respect to the role of local institutions. This workshop will bring together a dynamic group of anthropologists and related social scientists, primarily of Tanzanian descent, to propose a path forward. First, we will map key junctures in anthropological research, including in active collaborations, where inequity emerges, from funding acquisition and study conception through to data collection, publication, and research dissemination. Second, we will define shared standards and provide specific, actionable recommendations for best practice that directly highlight the jurisdiction of local institutions. Finally, we will formulate proposals for dedicated research into collaborative (mal)practice in anthropology and its ethical and scientific implications (e.g. for data quality and research resilience). By taking a regional focus, we will ensure the production of actionable recommendations, while also demonstrating the generalizable value of prioritizing the capacity of local institutions in the production, administration, and regulation of future anthropological scholarship.