Modern Slavery Research: A Commentary on Methods and Themes

This article explores the methods used in the rapidly growing field of<br/>modern slavery research. Research on this topic has gained momentum<br/>since the introduction of modern slavery legislation in the UK and<br/>Australia. Defined as a broad umbrella term encompassing human<br/>trafficking, forced labour, and other exploitative practices, modern<br/>slavery research spans multiple academic disciplines, including law.<br/>This article aims to amplify discussion on the methods used in modern<br/>slavery research globally. It analyses 165 relevant articles from the Scopus<br/>database and finds a scholarly field with some disciplinary segregation,<br/>particularly between business and supply chain literature on the one<br/>hand, and legal and criminology scholarship on the other. It also finds<br/>distinct methodological preferences in different disciplines. We suggest<br/>there is scope to broaden modern slavery research to increase interdisciplinary dialogue, diversify methodologies, support scholars from the<br/>Global South, and give voice to victim-survivors. <br/>