ABSTRACT
	This project, an ethnography of the ethical review process for research involving humans, involves an anthropological analysis of research ethics and the ethical review process as culture and cultural process. It does this through document reviews, case studies, key informant interviews, and observations of the ethical review process. One of its purposes is to better understand why some kinds of research, namely research involving alternative paradigms and that associated with sensitive populations, seem to present particular difficulties for ethical review committees, research gatekeepers, and the researchers involved. This research might help us better address the issues involved and allow the development of research and ethics programs, policies, applications, and educational efforts that are less problematic for all parties concerned. It is not about whether or not research and the ethical review process are ethical, but what are the cultural factors that influence ideas about ethics and the ethical assessment of research and how they may impact on contemporary research.