The objects of evidence

By and large, anthropology's reflections on the concept of evidence have been couched within other discussions – on truth, knowledge, and related concerns. This essay, which introduces the special issue, makes the case that evidence deserves more considered attention in its own right. Drawing on the small but growing body of literature in social and cultural anthropology that does address questions of evidence, I situate the articles here in relation to several anthropological conversations, suggesting in the process how an exploration of evidence can shed light on three key issues: anthropology's standards of judgement, the potentials within interdisciplinary collaboration, and the benefits of a public anthropology. This article introduced a special issue of the Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute published in March 2008. It was subsequently issued as a book entitled The objects of evidence: Anthropological approaches to the production of knowledge. Oxford: Blackwell, 2009.