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Methodology
This research draws on data from a range of primary and secondary sources, namely:
- international literature, both academic and government reports;
- other documentary and open source material, such as training materials and progress reports relating to individual organisations in Scotland and
- interview data collected by the author.
The interview data and some of the documentary data analysed is 'secondary' in the sense that those who were interviewed and those who prepared training and progress reports were professionals working in the field of human trafficking. Given the timescales and resources of the research, and the sensitivities associated with victimisation in this area, it was not possible to sample victims of human trafficking. All of the findings presented relate to various forms of trafficking among adults.
A review of the relevant international literature and other documentary materials was used to construct a framework of themes to be explored during interviews. A semi-structured interview 5 schedule was designed using this framework. In total, 20 interviews were carried out with the main agencies involved in work relating to human trafficking in Scotland. The most appropriate representatives from each of these agencies were interviewed; in other words, those with a specific responsibility for dealing with human trafficking. These included: Senior Investigating Officers from each of the eight Scottish police forces, along with SCDEA; senior officials from other relevant statutory agencies, such as the UKBA, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (Scotland), Child Exploitation and Online Protection ( CEOP) and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities ( COSLA); workers from victim care and support services operating in Glasgow ( TARA) and Edinburgh (Scot-Pep); and a variety of professionals working in relevant NGOs, such as the Women and Children's Department of the Legal Services Agency, the Scottish Refugee Council, Barnardo's, Save the Children Scotland, the International Organisation for Migration and Amnesty International Scotland.
All interviews were carried out between October 2007 and February 2008. In most cases interviews were carried out face-to-face in a private room within the interviewee's workplace. In a small number of cases where distance or timescales prevented face-to-face meetings, interviews were conducted by telephone. Extensive notes were taken by the author and transcripts of interviews were provided to the interviewee who added to and/or amended them where necessary. Data relating to individual organisations were anonymised, systematically coded and manually analysed. For reasons of sensitivity it was not considered appropriate to transfer direct quotes from interviews into the findings.
The research also made use of documentary analysis of reports prepared by individual organisations. Some of these were open source materials, as listed in the references section. Others were progress reports and training materials prepared for specific audiences.
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