This annotated bibliography aims to summarise many of the themes to which Jon Altman, CAEPR foundation director from 1990 to 2010, has dedicated his career to date.

The bibliography was written in conversation with Jon Altman and is structured around the six themes: comparative modern hunter–gatherer studies; economic hybridity and alternate development; employment and labour markets; land rights and native title; sustainable land-based indigenous livelihoods; and neoliberalism or the return of the guardian state.

Given the breadth of Altman’s research over a long career, it has not been possible to include all of his published work; however, the bibliography covers a large proportion of his written contribution. Classification of works according to the conference themes has required judgments, as many publications could be allocated to more than one theme. The authors have sought to address the challenge of some inevitable arbitrary judgment by developing a set of keywords for each annotated item.