Who are We?
We are a loosely knit group of allies with an interest in the realities of those involved in the adult industry in Canada. We focus on using publicly available archival data in combination with relevant qualitative research to provide a more realistic picture of who does sex work in Canada and how they engage with the industry and society at large.
The papers listed below, representing over 15 years of history, all have associated datasets. Given that no research on the sex industry is definitive, your input is important: Readers are encouraged to download, review, and re-analyze the data associated with each paper as well as the stand alone datasets described below.
How to report on the research.
Published Peer-Reviewed Research
- Kennedy, L. (2022). The silent majority: The typical Canadian sex worker may not be who we think. PLOS ONE 17(11): e0277550. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277550 (PDF, Press Release) (Data and supplementary materials: cached) Abstract
- Kennedy, L. (2024). Estimating turnover and industry longevity of Canadian sex workers. PLOS ONE, 19(3), e0298523. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0298523 (Corrected PDF, PLOS ONE PDF, graphic) (Data and supplemental materials: cached) Abstract
- Kennedy, L. (2024). The changing meaning of “no” in Canadian sex work. PLOS ONE 19(4): e0301600. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0301600 (Corrected PDF, PLOS ONE PDF) (Data and supplemental materials: cached) Abstract
Note that Fig 1 and Fig 2 images are swapped in the PLOS ONE article.
Pre-Prints
Research that is available to the public but may have not been scientifically reviewed. All research is peer reviewed by our advisors in the industry.
- Kennedy, L. (2023). Power users: Technology, trust, and the social networks of Canadian sex workers. SocArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/u5kd2 (PDF, graphic, presentation) (Data and supplemental materials: cached) Abstract
- Kennedy, L. (2023). What was the effect of end demand legislation on Canadian sex worker populations? SocArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/87u29 (PDF) (Supplemental materials: cached) Abstract
- Strygg, S., Temple, A., & Davis, S. (2024). Playing the Name Game: A review of advertising practices and success of Canadian sex workers. Digital Desirability: Analyzing Client Preferences and Success Metrics in Canadian Classified Ads for Sex Work. Beyond the Interface: Critical Perspectives of Sex Work and Sextech, York University. (PDF) Abstract
Other Writing
- Kennedy, L. (2024). My experience in social research. SocArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/e9ksg (PDF) Abstract
Datasets
All published papers and preprints have an associated osf.io project. For researchers who would like to explore the ad data further, the following anonymized datasets are available.
- Kennedy, L. (2024). Ad Views. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/BU6SN (direct link to most recent database) public
Daily view data for a collection of over 66,000 ads collected between July 9 and August 10, 2023. See also “Playing the Name Game” which uses this data. - Kennedy, L. (2024). Anonymized Canadian Classified Ads 2007-2023. https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/ZG9HP request access
All ad texts used in our studies in tab delimited format with most identifying information removed. Metadata from the 2021-2022 collection which provided consistent metadata for ethnicity is included. A new dataset used in the “What was the effect of end demand legislation on Canadian sex worker populations?” paper is added. - Downloaded files: These are the ad pages that were originally downloaded. As this data is very sensitive, containing potentially identifying information, please contact us if you would like to review it.
Open Research Questions
Our interests are evolving. These points represent some unresolved questions at the moment:
- What is the best way to integrate qualitative and archival research in this area?
- How can we create the most accurate and complete data possible?
- How can researchers effectively share archival data without revealing personally identifying information?
- How can we improve models to better understand the data?
- Is there a role for computer simulation in this type of research?
Ethics Statement
We understand that privacy and security are critically important for sex workers and allies. We also understand that reproducible results and collaboration are essential for research to progress.
- We respect the privacy of our collaborators. Contributors will never be asked to reveal their identity unless they so choose.
- All archival data was publicly available at the time of collection and was collected in accordance with the policies of the archival sources at the time of collection.
- All data collected is stored in a secure manner.
- Any datasets shared with researchers are anonymized.
Resources
Some relevant background research from external sources.
International:
- Hacking Hustling: https://hackinghustling.org/ . Like us, they are an industry experienced research group who have published academic papers chronicling the fallout from excessively restrictive sex work advertising laws in the United States.
- Blunt, D., & Wolf, A. (2020). Erased: The impact of fosta-sesta and the removal of backpage on sex workers. Anti-Trafficking Review, 14(14), 117–121. https://hackinghustling.org/erased-the-impact-of-fosta-sesta-2020/
- Blunt, Danielle, et al. Posting into the Void: Studying the Impact of Shadowbanning on Sex Workers and Activists. Hacking//Hustling, 2020, https://hackinghustling.org/posting-into-the-void-content-moderation/.
- Abel, G., Fitzgerald, L., & Brunton, C. (2007). The Impact of the Prostitution Reform Act on the Health and Safety Practices of Sex Workers (p. 213). Department of Public Health and General Practice University of Otago, Christchurch. https://www.otago.ac.nz/christchurch/otago018607.pdf
- Abel, G. M. (2014). A decade of decriminalization: Sex work ‘down under’ but not underground. Criminology & Criminal Justice: An International Journal, 14(5), 580–592. Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=i3h&AN=98977147&site=ehost-live
- Nelson, A. J., Korgan, K. H., Izzo, A. M., & Bessen, S. Y. (2019). Client Desires and the Price of Seduction: Exploring the Relationship Between Independent Escorts’ Marketing and Rates. The Journal of Sex Research, 57(5), 664–680. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2019.1606885
Canadian academic research:
- Machat, S., McBride, B., Murphy, A. et al. (2023) An Evaluation of Indoor Sex Workers’ Psychosocial Occupational Health and Safety in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Occup Health Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41542-023-00169-5 (PDF, Cached)
- Allen, M., & Rotenberg, C. (2021). Crimes related to the sex trade: Before and after legislative changes in Canada (No. 85-002-X202100100010). Government of Canada, Statistics Canada. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2021001/article/00010-eng.htm
- Jeffrey, L. A., & MacDonald, G. (2006). “It’s the Money, Honey”: The Economy of Sex Work in the Maritimes*. The Canadian Review of Sociology and Anthropology, 43(3), 313–327. https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/money-honey-economy-sex-work-maritimes/docview/234927847/se-2?accountid=13800
- O’Doherty, T. (2007). Off-street Commercial Sex: An exploratory Study [Thesis (M.A.), Simon Fraser University]. http://summit.sfu.ca/item/8064
Canadian NGO reports:
- Pivot Legal Society. (2006). Beyond Decriminalization : Sex Work, Human Rights and a New Framework for Law Reform (p. 229). http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/pivotlegal/legacy_url/275/BeyondDecrimLongReport.pdf?1345765615