At Desiree and other sex worker rights meetings, I have seen completely understandable mixed feelings about sex workers being the subjects of academic studies.  Few people have warm feelings about being put "under a microscope" and studied, and sex workers are of course no exception to this.  

So why participate?  The answer, from my perspective, is that in considering rights-based legal challenges to current laws, courts have consistently given a great deal of credence to academic studies, and have cited them to help in bolstering their own decisions against further legal appeals. And so academic studies have historically been helpful in gaining rights, and we can anticipate that this will continue to be the case in gaining rights for sex workers.  

If you get an opportunity to participate, as a sex worker, in an academic study, you can of course do so in a way that is completely anonymous.  By simply speaking the truth, you can help in dispelling the inaccurate stereotypes that are currently depriving sex workers of their rights, much like previous inaccurate stereotypes deprived LGBT people of their rights.  

The fight for sex worker rights can be won, but not without effort.  Everything that you can do, no matter how small, is helpful.

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Being a bit of a devils advocate, perhaps-- But when you say that: "in considering rights-based legal challenges to current laws, courts have consistently given a great deal of credence to academic studies, and have cited them to help in bolstering their own decisions against further legal appeals".  

Therein lies a problem.  

Academic research is one of the ways washington DC came up with the brilliant idea to have law enforcement target people found carrying condoms in public. Research tells us that prostitutes carry condoms. Prostitution is illegal.  Ergo, if you're caught carrying condoms you must be breaking the law. One of the more extraordinarily stupid examples of academic research  put into practice. Still, strangely true.  

Generally speaking, academic research into sex work is focused on men and what kind of man hires sex workers and how do these men feel about what they do. And, when the focus is turned to sex workers themselves the focus then becomes sex worker as trafficked/victim, sex work as a vector for transmission of STI's, violence against sex workers, looking for pathology in sex workers...etcetera....

I'm not suggesting sex workers should not participate in academic studies. But in the same way that research into homosexuality took a radically different turn when LGBTQ people themselves started to take the lead in conducting less 'morally' biased and more balanced research (instead of outsider academics---with an agenda), sex workers themselves have the most valuable perspective and, ideally, should be the ones conducting the research that gets in front of the courts who give "a great deal of credence to academic studies.....",  

And then, just a guess, more sex workers would be more willing, more trusting, when asked to put themselves under that microscope.  

And for a real snooze, see link....(compelling perspective on academic research into sex work) ;