Maternity satisfaction studies and their limitations: "What is, must still be best".

Background: Health policymakers throughout the developed world are paying close attention to factors in maternity care that may influence women's satisfaction. This paper examines some of these factors in the light of observations from previous studies of satisfaction with health services.

Methods: The Scottish Birth Study, a cross-sectional questionnaire survey, sought the views of all women in Scotland delivering during a 10-day period in 1998.

A review of studies assessing the costs and consequences of interventions to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: To review the methods and findings of studies that assess the costs and consequences of interventions to reduce mother-to-child HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa.

Design: Systematic literature review.

Methods: A literature search was conducted to identify studies that assessed the costs and consequences of interventions aimed at reducing mother-to-child HIV transmission in African populations.

The role of pilot studies in midwifery research.

This second paper in a series on research emphasises the importance of conducting 'pilot' or 'feasibility' studies prior to embarking on more in-depth research. It focuses on piloting the two main data collection methods used by midwives in social or health research--quantitative questionnaires and qualitative interviews.

The importance of pilot studies.

The term 'pilot studies' refers to mini versions of a full-scale study (also called 'feasibility' studies), as well as the specific pre-testing of a particular research instrument such as a questionnaire or interview schedule. Pilot studies are a crucial element of a good study design. Conducting a pilot study does not guarantee success in the main study, but it does increase the likelihood of success.

Getting your paper to the right journal: a case study of an academic paper.

Background: The scientific community views the publication of academic papers as a means of disseminating information, ensuring transparency and good practice in terms of research utilization. However, the choice of journal in which to publish is frequently influenced by other, less obvious, factors. This paper describes the lengthy route taken to get a methodological paper about pilot studies into print.