November 2018 Page 181 Heath Cabot and William Garriott Editors’ Introduction In Good Faith: Editing and Knowledge Production in Precarious Times When, four years ago, we became editors of PoLAR: Political and Legal Anthropology Review, taking on this job was not an obvious “smart” move (and certainly not a safe one). For many of our colleagues, editing a journal is a capstone moment in a career—for us, it has taken place in the earlier stages. When we began our editorship, we were both still pre- tenure (Heath still is)—a point in one’s career when the accepted wisdom is to concentrate on one’s own productivity and minimize service commitments. We both, moreover, had significant duties in terms of undergraduate teaching, which we consider a crucial aspect of our professional lives. This meant, however, that time to devote to editing a journal—always at a premium—was particularly scarce in our case. Learning how to become an editor is time consuming for any scholar, even the most experienced. In our case, we both had recent books out, but by no means did we have the decades of publishing experience of many of our colleagues. Indeed, more than one close colleague and mentor advised against taking the position given the likelihood that it would steal time away from individual research at a crucial point in our careers. And yet, we decided early on that this was too good an opportunity to pass up: to step into the shoes once filled by so many of our own intellectual heroes, and to edit what had long been one of our favorite journals. We were also excited about the possibility of contributing meaningfully to the field we care so much about, to an organization (APLA) that has been such an important home for both of us, and to do so from within teaching-centered institutions where the role of editor would give us a unique opportunity to engage with the broader field. And so, one might say, we threw caution to the wind, committing ourselves to that essential yet grossly underrecognized form of scholarly productivity: facilitating the work of others. These past few years, we have both grown significantly as editors and as scholars (the latter sometimes because, sometimes despite, our duties as editors). PoLAR has also grown along with its readership, attesting to the increasing significance of political and legal anthropology within our wider discipline. Our submissions level has increased, as has our selectivity; our impact factor has also increased and held steady. In the course of our editorship, we have transitioned not only toward an online platform (a move necessitated by the journal’s growth) but to a new core member of PoLAR’s editorial team, Stefania De Petris, whose experience in publishing and academic background in the social sciences have made her an invaluable collaborator from her position as managing editor. Under the stewardship of Kate Henne, PoLAR’s online presence continued to grow; and now Associate Editor Jennifer Curtis and APLA Communications Liaison Randi Irwin are continuing to expand our virtual efforts, building on the excellent work Jennifer has already done with the APLA website. Book reviews have been restructured and moved online, thanks to the work of Matthew Wolf-Meyer. And the tireless labor of those in APLA leadership, particularly PoLAR: Political and Legal Anthropology Review, Vol. 41, Number 2, pp. 181–184. ISSN 1081-6976, electronic ISSN 1555-2934. C  2018 by the American Anthropological Association. All rights reserved. DOI: 10.1111/plar.12271.