ABSTRACT
Few would argue with the basic premise of this book-that comparative inquiry enhances our understanding of maternity care practice. Indeed, the comparative method is a cornerstone of social science research; when comparative research is challenged the criticisms focus on inconsistencies in the measurement of the variables being compared, not on the method itself. In this chapter we focus on the difficulties faced by researchers looking for comparative data in maternity care. Given the natural inclination of researchers to compare (e.g., which country has the highest and which the lowest cesarean rate?) and their inherent curiosity to know what is going on in different countries (e.g., what is the home birth rate in the Netherlands?), good comparative data are precious commodities. But can we find maternity care statistics that are truly comparable? The answer is a confident yes . . . sort of, more or less, in some cases, under the right conditions. Comparisons are possible, but rarely ideal and never simple.
