Toolkit for mixed-methods research on child labour and forced labour

Child labour and forced labour remain pressing global concerns, affecting millions of children and workers worldwide. Addressing these issues requires a robust evidence base that can inform policies, programmes and interventions. To achieve this, researchers must employ comprehensive and rigorous methodologies that respond to the information needs of a variety of actors.

However, researching child labour and forced labour presents unique complexities, including the hidden nature of these practices, ethical sensitivities, and the need to capture both structural drivers and individual experiences. While in many circumstances, qualitative or quantitative methods alone may be effective, in others, mixed-methods research is best suited to provide complete answers to the research.

This toolkit is designed to provide practical guidance on conducting mixed-methods research on child labour and forced labour, equipping researchers new to researching child labour and forced labour with the tools necessary to generate rigorous, policy-relevant evidence.

The toolkit is composed of:

1. An User manual providing guidance on combining qualitative and quantitative approaches to research on child labour and forced labour.
2. A set of selected tools for mixed-methods research.
3. A series of examples of actual mixed-methods research on child labour and forced labour, featuring different research objectives and designs, along with research tools to support implementation and adaptation in different research contexts.