Over the past two decades, the authors, together and separately, have conducted a large number of research studies in Europe, the former Soviet Union and South-East Asia. Most of these studies have involved in-depth interviews with trafficking victims and practitioners from different fields of work (social work, psychology, criminal justice, education, health, etc.). These studies have been conducted with men, women and children trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour, begging, criminal activities and forced marriage. Most of this research has been focused specifically on victims’ experiences of interventions—identification, protection, assistance, reintegration and access to justice. Much of our research has been applied in nature, targeting policymakers and practitioners to contribute to improved interventions for trafficked persons. In this chapter, we share ethical and methodological issues that have come up in these different research projects and some of what we have learned along the way.

Access This Resource

NEXUS Institute conducted a review of TIP research from 2008 to 2018 in and from five of the countries in the Mekong region (Cambodia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam), to provide an overview of existing research and research and to inform the USAID Asia CTIP project. This brief summarizes the key findings of this TIP research review (Quality and Rigor in TIP Research in the Mekong Region: Assessing the Evidence Base and Exploring the Evidence: A Review of Research on TIP for Agriculture, Construction and Domestic Work in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam).

Access This Resource

This study identifies and explores good practice in TIP data collection in the areas of protection and prosecution, to inform and guide future anti-trafficking efforts. It begins by outlining what constitutes good practice in TIP data collection and the criteria to be considered in making this assessment (for example, data quality; relevance and usefulness; accessibility; timeliness; cost appropriateness; and attention to legal and ethical issues). The study then uses these criteria to examine current TIP data collection and research practices in different countries and regions, including the strengths and limitations of the various approaches. The study outlines five stages of TIP data collection – 1) design and planning; 2) data collection; 3) storage, maintenance and management; 4) analysis; and 5) use, presentation and dissemination – and explores the raft of issues that may arise at each of these stages as well as good practice examples at each particular stage. It draws on existing research and resources on TIP data collection, as well as the collective knowledge and experiences of TIP researchers, data collectors, TIP experts and trafficking victims globally to offer practical guidance, lessons and tools in how to implement TIP data collection efforts. The target audience of this publication is anti-trafficking professionals, organizations and institutions that are currently or are planning to collect TIP data.

Access This Resource

Available as a compressed pdf for mobile or slower Internet connection

Foreword

Central to any ethical research is the principle of “do no harm”, that when conducting research we do no harm to the persons we are researching and whose experiences we are seeking to explore and understand. This principle is especially critical when conducting research with persons in vulnerable situations, like trafficking victims. And yet avoiding harm is neither simple nor direct; there are many challenges and fault lines in terms of navigating this ethical space. This chapter discusses the different aspects of providing information about assistance to respondents when conducting research with trafficking victims, as a means of preventing and mitigating research harm. At the same time, we highlight the obstacles in identifying assistance options and offering referral information to respondents, both in terms of the actual existence of services and their appropriateness and desirability for respondents. Challenges include when services are unavailable, when services are available but inappropriate or undesirable, when services are inaccessible to trafficking victims due to their legal status and difficulties in accessing services because of personal and practical barriers.

Access This Resource

This chapter in Miradas críticas de la trata de seres humanos: Un dialogo académico en construcción (Critical views on human trafficking: an academic dialogue in construction) considers success measurements with respect to anti-trafficking criminal justice interventions. The authors (Anne Gallagher and Rebecca Surtees) seek to cut through the complexities presented by multiple theories and elaborate methodologies by focusing on one key issue: who decides success, and how? Their review of evaluation reports and interviews with practitioners confirms that determinations of success (or failure) will vary according to: (i) whom one consults and their role in the intervention; (ii) the criteria against which success is measured; and (iii) the assumptions that are built into that criteria. Each aspect is considered with reference to examples and insights drawn from recent practice. A major finding of the chapter is that the lack of an overarching vision of what “success” might look like allows mediocre or even harmful interventions to flourish and good work to go unrecognized and unrewarded. Global concern about human trafficking has prompted substantial investment in counter-trafficking interventions. That investment, and the human rights imperatives that underpin counter-trafficking work, demand that interventions demonstrate accountability, results and beneficial impact. The chapter is in Spanish.

Access This Resource