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Abundance estimation, for both human and animal populations, informs policy decisions and population management. Capture-recapture and multiple sources data share a common structure; the population can be partially enumerated and individuals are identifiable. Consequently, the analytical methods were developed simultaneously. However, whilst ecological models have been developed to describe highly complex, biologically realistic scenarios, for example modeling population changes through time and combining different forms of data, multiple systems estimation has changed comparatively less so. In this paper we provide a brief description of the historical development of ecological and epidemiological capture-recapture and discuss the associated underlying differences that have led to model divergence. We identify three key areas where ecological modeling methods may inform and improve multiple systems estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performing censuses on stigmatized or vulnerable populations is challenging, however, for such populations partial enumeration is often possible using different lists or sources. If the sources overlap then multiple systems estimation (MSE) methods can be applied to obtain an estimate of the total population. These are typically expressed by a log-linear model which permits positive/negative dependencies between lists. This paper considers issues that arise for the application of MSE to modern slavery where there is little to no overlap of individuals across lists. We investigate the robustness of MSE in terms of the importance of each list and the impact of combining lists on the estimation process. We undertake a simulation study and consider real national modern slavery data from the UK and Romania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]